Ava’s POV
By the time I woke up, Adrian was already moving around the suite. The distant sound of his voice drifted from the living room, low and focused as he spoke on the phone, probably discussing whatever business emergency demanded his attention this morning. Sunlight struggled through the cloudy Chicago sky, painting the room in dull shades of gray that matched the exhaustion still lingering in my body. For a few seconds, I stayed where I was, staring at the ceiling and trying to convince myself that everything happening around us wasn’t slowly spiraling out of control.
I eventually climbed out of bed and got ready for the day. The thought of returning to Manhattan tomorrow brought a surprising amount of relief because Chicago had started to feel less like a business trip and more
