At precisely four o’clock in the afternoon, Arnav called home to let them know he would soon arrive to pick up Raellyn. His voice was calm yet firm, carrying the familiar tone of someone who rarely left room for negotiation. He even spoke to Mrs. Maddy, the ever-dependable housekeeper, instructing her to make sure that his wife did not leave on her own under any circumstances. The middle-aged woman, who had long since learned the depth of his protectiveness, immediately agreed without question.
By that point, Arnav had already raced through his workload with the sharp precision of a man on a mission. He had skipped lunch entirely, ignoring the grumble of his stomach, his focus locked solely on clearing the mountain of reports and approvals that had piled up on his desk. This time, there w
