Tom stood at the window of his apartment, staring out at the city below without really seeing it. The past week had been a blur of sleepless nights and fruitless attempts to contact Emma. She had come by once, there was an air of silent fury as she packed a bag and left again without a word. The memory of her cold eyes and set jaw haunted him.
His phone buzzed on the coffee table, and Tom's heart leapt, hoping it might be Emma. But the message that greeted him sent a chill down his spine:
"Meet me at Cafe Noir tomorrow at 2 PM. - T"
Tom's mind raced. Who was "T"? Could it be the woman from the bar? The gaps in his memory from that night tormented him, leaving room for his imagination to conjure worst-case scenarios. He typed out a reply with shaking hands:
"I'll be there. I need to kno
