After watching those FBI agents retreat with their talls between their legs, Jade decided to head to the hospital. The cybersecurity drama had wasted enough of her time, and she was curious about how Ss’s mother was doing. Thest time she’d seen her, the doctors hadn’t been optimistic.

The hospital corridors were quiet in the evening hours, the fluorescent lights casting everyone in that sickly greenish tint that made even healthy people look half–dead. As she approached Mrs. Murphy’s room, Jade noticed Ss walking in with a paper bag that smelled like chicken soup. She hung back, not wanting to intrude on their family time, but the dour remained slightly ajar.

“I saw on bthe /bnews what happened, Ss,” his mother’s weak voice filtered through the gap. The nurses were talking about it too. That social media ckout and the video of you at the garage.”

bJade /bleaned against the wall beside the door, her enhanced hearing picking up their conversation beasily/b.

nothing. Mom. Ss reassured her. “Everything’s fine now. Jade is fine too.”

There bwas /ba pause, followed by rustling sounds–probably Ss arranging the food.

*Your father hasn’te looking g for you, has he?” Mrs. Murphy asked, her bvoice /btight with worry.

“No.” Ss replied curtly.

Jade bheard /bba /bshaky sigh. “If he can’t find me, he’ll take it out on you. He always does.”

“I’m not bafraid /bof him,” Ss said firmly.

Mrs. Murphy’s voice cracked with emotion. “You were only seven bwhen /bhe threatened to kill me because I wouldn’t give him money for gambling. You were bso /bsmall, but you stood in front of meb, /bsaying you’d fight him. You didn’t even flinch when he threw that bottle at

you.

“Let’s not btalk /babout the past, Mom,” Ss cut her off. And let’s not talk about him either.”

His mother quickly changed the subject. “How are things with that Jade girl? Is she still tutoring you?”

“Yeah,” Ss replied, his bvoice /bsoftening slightly. “She’s helped me a lot.”

“She seems like such a good person,” his mother said. “When we’re back on our feet, we need to find a way to repay her kindness.”

Jade backed away from the door. As she turned to leave, she caught sight of a nurse heading toward Mrs. Murphy’s room with medication. bShe /bslipped around the corner, but her curiosity got the better of her. After the nurse left, she circled back, staying out of sight.

“Ss, I think we should stop the treatment,” Mrs. Murphy was saying, her voice barely above a whisper. I want to go home.”

“Mom, no,” Ss protested.

b“/bWe bdon’t /bbhave /binsurance. The daily costs are btoo /bhigh,” she continued. “I bcan’t /bwatch you work yourself to death trying to pay for this.”

“Till figure something out,” bSs /binsisted, his bvoice /btight with determination.

AO

By the timede got back to her apartment building, the sky had darkenedpletely. She spotted a familiar ck Maybach parked outside, its sleek silhouette unmistakable even in the dim street lighting. Ethan was sitting in the back seat, bhis /bhead tilted back against the headrest, eyes closed. Connor sat alert in the driver’s seat, scrolling through his phone.

Connor noticed her first and nudged than, who straightened immediately and stepped out of the car. The strong smell of cigarettes clung to him–a lot of cigarettes, like he’d been chain–smoking for hours. His usually impable appearance was slightly disheveled, with dark circles under his eyes band /bhis the loosened.

“Just got here,” he said, his casual tone contradicting the rumpled state of his suit.

“Right,” Jade replied, eyeing the cigarette butts in the nearby trash can. The volume suggested he’d been waiting for quite some time. “0721.”

Ethan’s brow furrowed, “What?”

“The building code. For the main entrance,” she rifiedb, /bgesturing toward the door.

A small bsmile /byed on his lips as he handed her a thermos. The warmth seeped through her fingers immediately.

“It’ste,” he saidb. /b“Did you resolve everything?”

jade decided to be honest. “Ss’s mother suddenly got worse.

Ethan’s expression softened slightly as she epted the thermos. “My chef made soup. I thought you might be hungry.”

bShe /bblooked /bat bthe /bbe /bthermos, then back at him. “Want toe up?”

He hesitated, a conflicted look crossing his face. “No, it’ste. bYou /bshould eat band /bget some rest.”

“Okay,” she said, but neither of them moved.

They

stood there in awkward silence, the cool night air swirling around them. It had been over two weeks since they’d properly other, and it felt like they both had things to say but couldn’t find the right words.

ly seen each

“I should go, Ethan finally bsaid/b, turning back toward his car.

Something tugged inside Jade–an unfamiliar impulse she couldn’t quite identify. bMaybe /bit was the genuine concern in his eyes, or the fact bthat /bhe’d clearly been waiting for hours just to bring her soup.

“Ethan,” she called out.

When he turned, she grabbed his bsilk /btie and pulled him down to her level. His eyes widened in surprise bas /bshe pressed her lips against his in a brief, soft kiss. His lips were warm, slightly chapped from the cold air, and he smelled like expensive cologne mixed with cigarette

smoke.

She felt him freeze for a split second before he began to respond, but she pulled away before it could deepen. From theer of her eye, bshe /bcaught Connor’s shocked expression from the driver’s seat, followed by the idental honk of bthe /bhorn as he fumbled with his phone.

12:29 Sat, Sep 27b… /b

Without another word, Jade tumed and walked into her building, the thermos clutched tightly in her hand, feeling Ethan’s eyes boring into her back the entire time.

bEthan /bremained rooted to the spot long after Jade disappeared through the building doors. He touched his lips with his fingertips, his expression unreadable in the dim light.

When he finally slid back into the car, Connor was practically vibrating with excitement, his grip on the steering wheel tight enough to whiten his bknuckles/b.

“Sir, 1- Connor began, his

is voice pitched higher than normal.

“Drive,” Ethanmanded, his bvoice /bdeceptively calm as he stared straight ahead.

Connor obediently started the engine, stealing nces at his boss through the rearview mirror. Ethan sat perfectly still, his face a mask ofposure, but his hands were clenched into tight fists on his knees, betraying the storm raging within.

They drove inplete silence bback /bto the Haxton estate. Without a word to his assistant, Ethan disappeared into his study, the heavy door closing firmly behind him.

The next morning, when Ethan emerged for his 5 AM meeting, the dark circles under his eyes had deepened significantly, his expression distant. The night’s sleeplessness was evident in his slightly reddened eyes, though he carried himself with the samemanding presence as always,

Connor, who had been waiting with Ethan’s morning coffee, couldn’t help but notice that his boss seemed both exhausted and somehow more energized than he’d been in weeks.

Chapter Comments

Elizabeth Szar

7 days ago

I can’t wait for their rtionship to get deeper

5