Jaden leaned back in his sleek, black leather chair, eyes fixed on the faint glow of the city skyline outside his office window. The clock on the wall read 11:42 PM. He should have been home hours ago. But home was the last place he wanted to be.
Because Anna wasn’t there.
The thought hit him like a knife to the chest. He hated himself for it. Hated that her absence had created this void inside him. It was ridiculous. They had a deal, a contract—nothing more. Yet, every second without her felt like he was losing control, like he was spiraling into a darkness he couldn’t escape.
He sighed, loosening his tie, the weight of his thoughts suffocating him. The silence in the office was deafening. The floor was nearly empty—his employees had long since gone home. Even Claire, his ever-dedicate
