By morning, I told myself I could do it. Avoid him. Avoid the gravity of him. Avoid the way last night’s texts still pulsed under my skin like a second heartbeat. Avoid the bracelet lying in its velvet box, tucked face-down in the drawer like a secret I hadn’t earned permission to touch. Avoid all of it.
I had survived worse than a man with power. I had overcome more than control wrapped in silk. I could survive him too. Right? I threw myself into work before the sun fully cleared the skyline — emails, reports, department updates, scheduling. Every task was a shield. Every meeting is a distraction.
Don’t think about him, don’t think about him, don’t—
A calendar alert popped up.
Operations Review – 11:00AM
With: Wolfe Global Consultings
My stomach dropped. No.“Decline,” I whispered, c
