Luke had built empires from concrete and code. He’d negotiated with oil tycoons and tech billionaires, had outsmarted seasoned CEOs in boardrooms twice his age. But nothing had prepared him for the sudden, uncomfortable silence that came after Cassie left.
For two days, everything ran as usual—his team sent updates, the Tokyo executives confirmed press interviews, and the Hudson Motherboard stock price ticked upward. But beneath the numbers, something had shifted.
At first, Luke didn’t notice. He kept himself busy, buried in meetings and expansion plans. He kept telling himself she’d come back. That it was just a matter of pride. That she needed space, and then she’d realize how foolish it was to throw everything away over feelings.
But Cassie didn’t come back.
And something was differ
