he sterile silence of my home office. He called again. And again. On the fourth t

th a mix of authority and controlled panic. "This is

out the floor-to-ceiling windo

Did she do somet

bitter laugh. "Yo

almost hear the gears turning in h

shifting, becoming softer, more inquisitive. It was

harder than I expe

eativity. I loved the way her eyes lit up when she talked about a new design. I loved the facade she had so

he real Olivia, the one who mocked me with her brother

ymore," I finally ans

he cares for you, in her own way. She's always talking about your

ow I saw it for what it was: brand management. She wasn't defending me; she was defending her cover, her shield. She

oving" gesture was a twist of the knife, a private joke at my expense. The anger that had been simmering began to boil, hot and cleansing.

I said, the words coming out sharp and

heavy with admission. He didn't deny it. He didn't ev

thinking I was broken and malleable. "Alright. I'll handle this. I'll arrange for you to take a trip. A long one. Go to the site in Japan.

ntrol the narrative, to manage the fallout. He wasn

d, my decision solidifying into somet

her couch. The house I had designed with so much lo