Lucas pushed open the door to the penthouse, the silence hitting him like a punch. The lights were on low, but the space felt empty. Wrong.
“Ella?” he called out.
No answer.
He dropped his briefcase and moved through the rooms, a growing dread tightening his chest. Her bedroom door was open. The closet—half empty. Her suitcase was gone. On the kitchen island lay a simple note in her neat handwriting.
I can’t do this anymore. The contract is over. Keep the ring. The business is yours if you want it. – Ella
Lucas stared at the paper, his world tilting. She’d left. Heartbroken, just like he’d seen in her eyes during that press conference. He’d failed her. The one person who had made him question every wall he’d built, and he’d stood there like a coward while the world tore her apart.
“D
