Alec sat slouched on the luxurious leather couch of his private cabin, his thumb lazily scrolling over his phone screen, but it was obvious—his attention was elsewhere. The screen reflected coldly in his eyes, but they were empty. His mind wasn’t with the headlines or emails he was pretending to read. It was with her. Salena.
He tried to shake the thoughts off, tried to suffocate the memories clawing back to life—but they were stubborn, just like her. That woman had been a storm in his world, a wildfire he never truly wanted to extinguish. And now? She was back, standing across from him like a stranger cloaked in confidence, eyes hiding a heartbreak he knew too well.
On the opposite couch, Melissa sat quietly, peeking at him now and then. Her eyes searched his face—not with hope, not wit
