Enough time to put my affairs in order. Enough time to untangle the last threads tying me to Cassian Ashbourne. Enough time to walk away cleanly and never look back.
I would leave on the appointed day.
And on that same day, I would end everything between us.
By dusk, rain had started falling over the estate.
At first it was only a fine mist beyond the tall office windows, silver against the darkening courtyard. Then it thickened into a steady downpour, turning the stone drive black with rain and making the lanterns by the gates hiss in the damp.
I was sorting the last of the ledgers on my desk when my phone lit up with Cassian’s name.
I stared at it for a moment before answering.
The second I picked up, his voice came through low and impatient.
“You’re done at the office, aren’t you? Come to the clinic and drive us home.”
For a second, I thought I had heard him wrong.
Then I realized I had not.