What did the CEO do?

Chapter Nine - The man outside

Solomon never came to the apartment that night.

At first, I told myself it was probably for the best. After everything that had happened, I needed some time to process the news about Daniel without having Solomon beside me, distracting me with his usual smile and whatever ridiculous thing he would say when he noticed I was overthinking.

Still, when midnight came and my phone remained silent, I found myself checking it more often than I wanted to admit. Nothing.

Eventually, I went to bed alone. I didn't sleep particularly well.

The next morning, I arrived at Nova Home earlier than usual, carrying my coffee and trying to convince myself that I was prepared to deal with everything waiting for me on the forty-ninth floor. I wasn't.

The moment I stepped out of the elevator, I saw Daniel's desk.

It looked completely different.

Flowers covered almost every available space around it, along with cards, photographs, small candles, and other things people had left behind as memorials. Someone had placed a framed picture of him near the monitor, and there were handwritten messages from employees who had apparently known him much better than I had. I stopped for a moment.

Yesterday, Daniel had been a name on the news. Now his empty desk had become a reminder that he had actually been here.

He had sat there.

He had worked here.

He had spoken to people, complained about meetings, probably made stupid jokes in the break room, and had plans for whatever he was going to do after work that day. Now all that remained was a collection of flowers and photographs.

I swallowed hard and forced myself to keep walking. My office suddenly felt much farther away than usual. When I finally reached it, I opened the door and stopped again.

Solomon was already there.

He was standing near the window, his back toward me, looking out over the city. He turned when he heard the door close.

“Morning.”

“Morning.”

My voice sounded strange even to me. His eyes studied my face.

“You okay?”

I put my coffee down and sat behind my desk.

“I don't know.”

Solomon remained standing there for a moment before walking closer.

“You saw Daniel's desk.”

I nodded. There was a silence between us. Then I looked up at him.

“Why didn't you come over last night?”

Something flickered across his expression, so quickly that I couldn't tell whether I'd imagined it.

“The meeting ran pretty late.”

“All night?”

“It was a long meeting.”

I watched him carefully. There was nothing obviously wrong with his answer, but something about it didn't sit right with me. Maybe it was the way he'd said it, or maybe it was simply that after everything I'd learned about Daniel, I had started questioning things I never would have questioned before.

“You could have called.”

“I should have.”

“Yeah.”

He reached toward me, but I shifted slightly in my chair before he could touch me.

“I have work to do.”

For a moment, he just looked at me, then he nodded.

“Okay.”

And he left.

The rest of the day passed strangely.

I wasn't rude to Solomon, but I kept my distance whenever I could, filling my schedule with work and finding excuses to remain at my desk rather than going into his office. Whenever he came near me, I became suddenly fascinated by whatever document happened to be in front of me.

It wasn't that I was afraid of him.

At least, that's what I kept telling myself.

I just didn't feel like being close to anyone. Not today.

Especially not Solomon.

By the time the workday was over, most of the office had emptied.

I was finishing the last report when I felt someone step behind me. I knew who it was before he touched me.

Solomon wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and rested his chin briefly against my shoulder.

“You've been avoiding me all day.”

I sighed.

“I've been working.”

“You've been avoiding me while working.”

I didn't answer.vHe turned my chair slightly toward him and looked at me.

“Are you okay?”

“I said I'm fine.”

“You're not.”

His voice was softer now. He leaned down and kissed the side of my neck. I immediately pulled away.

“Not tonight.”

He stopped. I could see the confusion in his expression.

“Why?”

“I'm just not in the mood.”

His eyes remained on me.

“Because of Daniel?”

I hesitated, then nodded.

“Yes.” Something in his face tightened. I looked down at my desk. “I just... I need to be alone tonight.”

There was a long silence. Finally, Solomon stepped back.

“Okay.”

I expected him to argue. He didn't. He simply turned and walked toward the door.

Before leaving, he looked back at me.

“Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

Then he was gone and I went home alone.

The apartment felt different without him in it. Normally, there would be one of his shirts thrown over the back of the couch, his shoes near the door, or some evidence that he had been there recently. Tonight, everything was exactly where I'd left it, and somehow that made the place feel strangely empty.

I opened a beer, sat on the couch, and turned on the television, but I wasn't really watching anything.

My mind kept returning to Daniel.

To the flowers.

To the news report.

To Solomon's reaction.

To the strange feeling I'd had when he'd told me about his meeting.

I finished the beer and eventually got up to close the balcony door. That's when I saw the SUV. A black one, parked across the street. I frowned.

There was someone standing beside it. A man dressed entirely in black, leaning casually against the side of the vehicle. He was looking directly toward my apartment. Even from this distance, I knew him. Solomon.

My stomach tightened. I grabbed my phone and called him. He answered almost immediately.

“Alex?”

“Why are you outside?”

“I wanted to make sure you're okay.”

“You've been sitting there?”

“I'm not sitting.”

“That's not the point.”

“You told me you wanted to be alone. I'm giving you space.”

I looked through the glass again.

“You're literally watching my apartment.”

“I wanted to know you were safe.”

“Solomon, I need space.”

There was another pause. This one felt different. His voice dropped slightly when he answered.

“Why would you need space from me?”

A chill ran down my arms. I couldn't explain why. It was only his voice, only a question. But something about the way he'd said it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

“I just do.” Silence. Then I swallowed. “I'm going to bed.”

“Alex—”

I ended the call. I locked the balcony door, checked the front door twice, and went to bed. At least, I tried to.

Sleep wouldn't come.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Daniel's empty desk covered in flowers. Then I saw Solomon standing beside the black SUV, staring up at my apartment.

I turned over. Then back again.

I checked the time. Two hours had passed.

Eventually, I couldn't stand lying there anymore. I got out of bed and walked quietly toward the window.

I didn't turn on the light.

I didn't want him to know I was looking.

Slowly, I pulled the curtain aside.

The street below was almost completely empty. The black SUV was still there and beside it, exactly where he'd been before, stood Solomon.

Still wearing black.

Still leaning against the car.

Still looking directly at my apartment.

I stared at him from behind the curtain, my heart beating faster than it should have.

He hadn't left. Not once.

And suddenly, for the first time, I wasn't entirely sure whether Solomon had come there because he was worried about me...

or because he wanted to make sure I stayed exactly where I was.