Clark's POV

The sun is close to finishing its shift by the time I make it to Ava's office downtown.

The building's style almost mirrors her bright personality. The colorful interior and abstract furniture display a fun yet sleek sophistication that perfectly reflects her taste. She's sitting behind her desk typing away when I knock and enter her office.

The glass walls expose a stunning view of the cityscape behind her, which now seems insignificant in comparison to the bomb she's about to drop on me.

"One second, Clark." She gestures for me to take a seat, and I do so, my body stiff with apprehension. "I'm just sending a copy of the investigation to your email in case your team wants to also press charges on these pricks."

I nod. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

Her usually vibrant eyes are now dull with exhaustion, and I know exactly how she feels. I'd much rather be at home and in bed thinking about how the next date with Elias will turn out than here tying up loose ends. Unfortunately, when business calls, it's my job to answer.

And that's one reason why my relationships never last more than a couple of a months. No one enjoys coming in second place to Ashford Technologies.

"And...send!" Ava leans back in her chair, sighing heavily. "Thank you for coming here on such short notice. I feel terrible stealing you away from Elias."

"He understands." I automatically smile at the mention of his name, and I can't help but notice that I've been doing this a lot lately. Smiling. "Anyway. You have news to share? What were you able to find out?"

"Right. It's about the couple who left the retreat early."

I lean forward, my brow furrowed with concern. "The ones who left because of a death in the family?"

"Yes. Them." Ava sighs again, rubbing her temples before continuing. "After some digging and paying off a few rats, my team discovered that they lied about their family emergency. They actually attended the retreat with the sole purpose of gathering insider information about my upcoming projects."

"Son of a bitch." My eyes widen in shock. "What—Why would they do something like that? You're one of the most unproblematic people in this fucked up industry."

"I'm glad someone around here notices," she laughs. "So the couple, Audrey and Damien Hart, were identified as the new CEO and COO of a rival company that has rebranded under a new name. Ever heard of SkyeTech Solutions?"

"Can't say that I have."

"Many haven't, including myself. Before the rebrand, they went by Nexu Data Corp. That CEO held a grudge against me for not wanting to do a collaboration that would benefit his company more than it would mine. Long story short, his company went out of business and has apparently rebranded as SkyeTech Solutions."

"The new owners, Audrey and Damien Hart, you've never heard of them before?" I ask.

"No. I'm still looking for a connection between them and the former CEO," she says. "When I found out they were involved, I paid off someone on their team who revealed that they staged the death in the family emergency to avoid suspicion. They left my retreat early to leak the information to the press in hopes of sabotaging my new partnerships and gain advantage for SkyeTech."

"What a mess." I lean back in my chair, my mind reeling with What Ifs. "But on a positive note, you got ahead of it before they could do any real damage."

She nods, but even with the situation close to being resolved, the guilt and frustration she carries is clear to see. Despite my own anger, I sympathize with her.

"I should've done a better job at vetting the attendees," she says. "I let my guard down for a second, and now we're all running around doing damage control."

"Ava, stop. This isn't your fault. You couldn't have known they'd come back and do something like this."

"True. But all I want is to see them burn for good."

I laugh. "We'll find a way to make that happen. In the meantime, our teams can work together to draft a statement and control the narrative."

"Sounds good," she says, smiling. "And then we can circle back to Project Terra."

"Excellent." I'd jump for joy right now if it didn't make me look like a damn fool. "Shall we talk about strategies moving forward?"

The SkyeTech bullshit hasn't ruined my plan for Ava like I thought it would. My grandfather will be pleased to hear that things are back on track. Ava and I spend the next hour discussing strategies and action plans to keep the media on our good sides.

When I finally climb back into my car and drive off, my head is throbbing with a headache. But even amidst the chaos, my fingers gripping the steering wheel tightly as I navigate the dead streets, my thoughts keep drifting back to Elias and the kiss we shared.

I'm almost grateful that we had a bit of an audience because who knows what would've happened had we been making out somewhere alone. I don't think either of us would've stopped. I sure as hell didn't want to stop. That was a damn good kiss. The feel of his lips against mine, the way his body reacted to my touch...I swear I'm tempted to see if anyone has posted the pictures of us yet.

That's how desperate I am to relive that moment.

I'd pay millions to go back in time just to have the chance to read his mind as he kissed me. Did he enjoy it as much as I did? Did he scold him afterward? Does he want to do it again?

The week of that damn retreat really spoiled me. I've become used to having him by my side that being alone again suddenly feels strange and unsettling. The passenger side of the car is way too empty, too quiet. I can't ignore the dark mood that seems to fill the car, the silence that stretches on painfully without Elias' bubbly presence.

It's insane how a single week together and one kiss are all it took to get me hooked on the man. I thought I was a lot stronger than this.

Evidently not.

I just need to go home and sleep it all off... I try to shake off the depressive feeling threatening to suffocate me, try to focus on all the meetings I have lined up this week, but the silence clings to me like a second skin, taunting and refusing to leave me in peace.

I'll be fine by the morning. Everything will be fine by the morning...

I'm at Ava's level of exhaustion when I finally pull into my driveway, the gravel crunching beneath the tires as the car comes to a stop.

I kill the engine with a heavy sigh and sit in the silence that is tormenting me, needing just a moment to gather my thoughts. The intensity of the day settles on my shoulders all at once, and I close my eyes, taking a deep breath to center myself.

Everything will be fine by the morning.

When my pulse returns to a steady rhythm, I keep my promise and text Elias to let him know I made it home in one piece.

Clark: Just pulled into my driveway. You can sleep now.

Grabbing my jacket from the passenger seat, I step out of the car and make my way towards the front door. The cool air nips at my skin, and I shrug my coat tighter around me while fishing for my keys in my pocket. Then distraction hits when my phone pings with a new text.

Elias: Thanks for letting me know :) So how did things go with Ava? All good?

Clark: Pretty much. We know who's behind the leaks.

Clark: Our lawyers will handle it from here.

Elias: That's good news! I'm happy for you both.

Finding my keys, I unlock the door and step inside.

Clark: Ava did most of the work. All praises go to her.

Elias: I'm sure you helped out too! Anyway, I'll let you get settled in.

Elias: Sleep well ~ ❤️

A heart emoji?

No. Nope! I'm not going to question it.

Clark: Goodnight ❤️

I'm so lost in my own thoughts that it takes me a moment to notice the lights are on in the living room. Panic rises in my chest, my mind immediately jumping to the worst-case scenario.

Is someone here? Could this be connected to Ava's rivals? Are they coming after me now?

Heart pounding, I creep toward the storage closet where I keep a baseball bat for this exact scenario. Gripping it tightly with both hands, each step feeling like an eternity as I inch closer to the living room.

What the hell? I round the corner to see a tall figure messing with the fireplace. They're dressed in a stylish navy-blue suit, which seems out of place for a common thief.

"Stop what you're doing and back the fuck up," I call out, ready to swing. "This doesn't have to get messy if you just do what I say."

Laughter bounces off the walls, the sound way too familiar, and my grip on the bat loosens. The figure turns around to reveal his identity, his bright blue eyes reminding me of our late mother.

He smirks, asking, "Is this how we're greeting one another now, little brother?"