KATE CONNOR.

꘎♡━━━━━━━♡꘎

*"Miss, there’s a lot to do and those contracts should’ve been signed a long time ago…"*

*"Just leave," I reply without lifting my gaze, my voice as cold as frozen glass. "One more word and you're fired."*

I don’t have the time or the will for this kind of nonsense. My mind is far away from paperwork and meetings. What really matters to me right now is knowing whether she's alive… or at least if she’s okay.

*"Yes, ma’am."*

My secretary closes the door behind her quietly, like she’s afraid even the sound of it might break the icy air in the room.

I’m left alone in the office, surrounded by gray walls, dark furniture, and windows that look out onto places I no longer care about. The air smells of old coffee and expensive perfume — something artificial, just like everything around me lately. My phone vibrates in my hands with an almost cruel frequency. The images on the screen fill me with equal parts resentment, pain, and sadness.

I close my eyes for a se