~~~Soraya~~~
The penthouse felt too big. I paced the living room in slow circles, my bare feet silent on the cool marble floor. The city lights twinkled far below the windows, indifferent to the storm raging inside me. My phone was clutched tightly in my hand, the screen already dim from how many times I had checked it.
I dialed Declan’s number again.
It rang. Once.Twice.Three times.
Then it went to voicemail. The same generic message I had heard four times already tonight.
“Hey, it’s Declan. Leave a message.”
I hung up without speaking. My thumb hovered over the screen, debating whether to try one more time.
The text from the unknown number still burned in my mind.
“Declan just boarded a flight. He’s gone to Australia. I guess he choose his future over a temporary fake marriage.
