Silence wrapped around her once more as she absorbed her boss’s words. She felt foolish for letting herself hope for something that had been obvious all along—since Friday night, it had been nothing more than a fleeting weekend. She couldn’t blame him. Everything had been clear from the start, and she had agreed willingly. He hadn’t forced her, and he understood perfectly.

Yet, a small corner of her heart still throbbed with pain.

She supposed that, in time, things would settle back into some v