AFTERGLOW

INSIDE

*CHAPTER 2 — INSIDE*

Monday, 8:59 AM.

Lena expected a cubicle. What she got was a desk. Inside HIS office.

Mahogany, glass walls, city view. Her desk was 5 feet from his. No privacy. No escape.

"Jax, I can't work in here—"

"You can," he said without looking up from his laptop. "And you will."

He slid a folder toward her. She opened it.

Printed screenshots. Her old i********: stories. Her Finsta from 2018: _"lol ghost boy still eats alone"_

Her notes passed in class. She'd forgotten she even wrote them.

"You kept these?" Her voice shook.

"I kept everything," he said. "Every name you called me. Every time you laughed when I walked by. I memorized it. It kept me working when I had nothing."

He finally looked at her. That cold calm cracking.

"You had everything, Lena. Friends, pretty. And you chose to make me feel like I didn't exist. So now? You don't exist anywhere but here."

He stood, walked to her desk, placed a black keycard down.

"Apartment 42B. Same building. I moved you this weekend. Your lease was up anyway — I paid the break fee."

"What? You can't—"

"I did. Your stuff is already there. Closer to work. Closer to me. You don't need to thank me."

Lena stared at him. "This is insane. This is kidnapping—"

"This is a job," he said, leaning down, hands braced on her desk, not touching her. "With benefits. You never have to worry about rent again. Bills. Anything. As long as you are where I can see you."

"And if I quit?"

His smile disappeared.

"You won't."

He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear — first time he'd touched her in 10 years. His hand lingered.

"9 AM meeting. Get me coffee. Black. And Lena?"

She looked up.

"Wear the red dress that's in your new closet tomorrow. I bought it for you 3 years ago. I've been waiting."