The first snow of the month fell heavily, blanketing Emma’s new city in a thick layer of white. From her apartment window, she watched the flakes drift silently, feeling the contrast between the beauty outside and the growing unease in her chest.
Her schedule had become relentless. Days filled with client meetings, design reviews, and project deadlines blurred into nights of sketching, editing, and video calls. Every message from Liam was a spark of warmth, but sometimes, his texts arrived late—or not at all—and the silence gnawed at her heart.
It was during one such night that the first real tension arose. Emma’s phone buzzed.
Where are you? You didn’t call last night…
Her chest tightened. The message was short, but it carried the weight of worry and hurt. She typed back quickly:
I w
