Ellory’s fingers trembled as she pressed her mug to her lips, the bitter coffee doing nothing to steady her. She sat hunched at the end of the sky-lit hallway, oversized sweater drowning her slender frame, knees tucked up, hair falling like a curtain to hide her scarred cheek. The office buzzed around her—gossip sharp as needles—but inside, all she felt was smallness, her mind awash with images of last night: Silar’s mouth, his hands, her own whispered confessions in the dark. Now she couldn’t meet her own reflection, let alone anyone’s eyes.

Joren appeared, tie askew, exhaustion etched in shadows beneath his blue eyes. Even his posture—shoulders rounded protectively—betrayed the toll the week had taken. He crouched beside her, movement careful, hands gentle as he placed his palm on her knee. “You okay?” he asked, voice raw with fear and something deeper.

She forced a wobbly laugh. “Yeah. Just—everything.” She didn’t look at him, afraid he’d see too much.

He squeezed her knee, thumb circling, grounding her. “I’ll always be here, El,” he whispered. The vulnerability in his eyes made her ache. But before she could answer, Mirelle stormed past, stilettos slicing the hush, lips pressed in a furious line. She tossed a glare over her shoulder—a message, a warning.

Word of the scandal—Silar and Mirelle, a VIP client, a deal gone wrong—unfurled like smoke. Silar shielded his face behind dark sunglasses, mouth set in its signature smirk, though his jaw was clenched too tight. The pinstripe suit couldn’t hide the tension threading through his body; he moved like he was bracing for impact, every muscle coiled.

He found Ellory by the elevators, brushed her knuckles with his. “Did you tell anyone?” He was too close, cologne and desperation mingling. She shook her head. Their eyes met—his full of panic, hers uncertainty. “I need you. Please,” he breathed. His mask slipped, just for a heartbeat.

Her phone chimed: Joren, again. Constant. Needy. Kind. Guilt prickled her skin. She left Silar standing there, looking suddenly lost, jacket hanging off one shoulder, bite mark visible on his neck—a souvenir from her, from the night before.

Joren collapsed mid-meeting. Head lolling. Body slack. Paramedics flooded the lobby, and Ellory’s world narrowed to sirens and the sticky, metallic taste of dread. She spent the night at the hospital, perched at his bedside, fingers woven with his, whispering apologies against the back of his hand. Beneath harsh lights, his cheeks looked hollow, lips pale and dry. Even unconscious, he radiated longing.

When Silar showed up—hair wild, shirt half unbuttoned, eyes rimmed red—she followed him without words, driven by a need she didn’t understand. In the hush of the penthouse, he pressed her to the glass, forehead to hers, hands tracing the length of her arms as if mapping every insecurity. His voice was broken glass: “I’m losing everything.” And she let her walls fall, let him undo her, desperation and grief fusing into something raw and consuming.

Clothes fell away. His kisses were messy, tasting of shame and need. Her nails left crescents on his back. They moved together with an almost frantic honesty, clutching, gasping, trying to fill every hollow. For once, neither performed—they clung, vulnerable, sobbing against each other’s skin, confessions tangled with moans. In the aftermath, they lay tangled on the cold floor, her head on his chest, the city glittering behind them, silent witness to their ruin.

Morning came sharp and cold. Ellory dressed slowly, tugging her sleeves to hide the marks. She lingered in the doorway, hesitating, and Silar—eyes rimmed with regret, hair a dark, chaotic halo—didn’t stop her as she slipped away.

Her phone vibrated. A single message—an unknown number. Attached: a blurry photo. Silar pressed against a client, hands where they shouldn’t be. The timestamp: last night.

In the hospital, Joren’s hand found hers. He blinked awake, searching her face for answers.

Ellory stared at the damning evidence glowing on her screen. Betrayal and heartbreak twisted inside her. She swallowed a sob.

To be continued...