ETHAN'S POV
At Pierce Group…
The meeting with the investors had wrapped up hours ago, but the weight of the day lingered.
Back in my office, the city skyline stretched beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows.
I loosened my tie and sank into the leather chair, exhaustion pressing in.
My fingers drifted to my phone, and scrolled absently through some old files—until I froze.
Claire’s photo was staring back at me.
The golden light had spilled over her so perfectly that I couldn’t resist taking the shot.
It was the only photo I still had of her, and the memory of that day remained painfully vivid.
I let out a slow breath.
The ache in my chest was still there. Her absence was more than silence—it was the hollow pull of a bond that had been severed, but never truly broken.
A sharp kn
