The tension between Ava and Liam had been simmering beneath the surface for days, a quiet undercurrent neither had addressed. The weight of their new roles at Carter Industries pressed down on them, and the unspoken doubts Eleanor had planted in Ava’s mind had taken root. They moved through their days like dancers in a carefully choreographed routine—efficient, precise, but lacking the fire that had once bound them together.
Ava sat at her desk in her office, reviewing the latest financial projections for the upcoming quarter. The numbers were strong, but her focus wavered. Her phone buzzed, and she glanced at the screen, her stomach twisting as she read the message from Liam:
“Dinner with the board tonight. Wear the blue dress.”
Ava’s fingers tightened around the phone. It wasn’t the m
