The sound of the door closing rang out in the quiet, sharp and final. I stood <i>by </i>the bathroom door, zoning out for ages before finally sinking into the hot water. The warmth wrapped around me, and only then did my heart finally settle down, wrapped infort and quiet.


    I had no idea what would happen after Ryan left–and honestly, I didn’t want to know.


    He was just heading back to his own world, and I was nothing, but a firework in his life–zing bright for a moment, then gone, just ashes left, nothing to remember me by.


    For me, breakups had be so routine, they barely even fazed me at work anymore.


    Honestly, it was just my way of protecting myself–throwing up a fortress around my heart and tucking my feelings deep inside. As long as I didn’t let myself think about it, it didn’t hurt.


    By dusk, after a few days of clear skies, it started snowing again.


    By six, everyone else had headed out, and the once lively office was suddenly quiet.


    “Vic, why are you still here? Didn’t your boyfriend drop by today?” A few of my close coworkers liked to joke around with me–they all knew I was dating a younger guy, but nobody had a clue what he actually did.


    “So, what are you guys up to tonight?” I asked with a grin.


    They were all single, and I’d heard them talk about their fun ns before. Tonight, I figured I might as well join in and let loose with them for a change.


    “We’re heading to a chill bar to hit on some hotties,” one of themughed.


    “Yeah, I heard they’ve got some college students doing live music there. Vic, you shoulde check it out with us.”


    I tucked my papers into the drawer, stood up with a smile, and said, “Sure, why not? I’ve been so caught up in work, I haven’t had a chance to unwind.”


    “So… Vic, can we expense tonight’s drinks?” one of the girls asked, giving me those puppy dog eyes.


    I waved my hand dismissively. “Nope, no expensing. I’m covering it.”


    “Woohoo! Vic, you’re the best!” The girls jumped up and down, cheering, and then started plotting how they were going to take advantage of me.


    Honestly, spending a little money to win my team’s loyalty was just smart office politics.


    <b>Chapter </b>550


    Checking out my recent financial reports, it looked like my year–end dividends were <b>going </b><b>to </b><b>be </b><b>so </b><b>fat </b>my hands would get tired counting them. First, there was the cashing in from Jared’s <b>side- </b>already a nice chunk of change. Then, with thetest reports Nathan sent over, the dividends <b>from </b><b>my </b>shares were looking just as juicy.


    Money… I was seriously loaded now.


    The bar was hidden away in a side alley, not very big, with that trendy industrial–chic decor. Still, the ce was buzzing, packed with people and a great vibe.


    “Good thing I booked a table ahead of time, or we’d never have gotten a seat,” one of the girls said, ncing at the crowd.


    We grabbed a spot right in the center, and all the servers were young guys–fresh–faced, clean–cut, and grinning from ear to ear. They kept calling us dies” with such charm that we couldn’t help but giggle.


    “Vic, you drove here. You drinking tonight?” one of the girls popped her head over and asked.


    I was vibing to the music–the chill DJ set had me hooked.


    “Yeah<i>, </i>why not?” I replied. Normally, right before clocking out, my emotions would be all over the ce, but Ryan would’ve already set up our ns for the night, waiting for me in the car.


    But today, my phone was dead quiet, except for work notifications.


    That feeling… realizing I’d really lost someone, it went from a gentle drizzle straight to icy hail, mming into my heart.


    “Here, have a cocktail–this is their house special,” one of the girls said, sliding a ss over to me.


    I took a sip. The first thing that hit me was the tangy kick, then a wave of sweetness, and finally a little burn at the end. The vors stacked up perfectly, and the aftertaste lingered–honestly, it amazing.


    “Careful, that stuff sneaks up on you,” someone warned, but I’d already downed the whole ss.


    “Vic, you seem really happy tonight. Is it because you just closed a bunch of deals?” someone asked, grinning.


    I nodded. “Yeah, work’s been going great. Everything’s falling into ce.”


    Everyone agreed, and a few cute guys took the stage, singing and dancing with all the energy of youth. Their vibe was infectious, and the whole ce burst into cheers.


    07:32 Sat, <b>6 </b>Sept


    I lounged back in my seat, my ck turtleneck starting to feel a bit too warm. My hair, <b>which </b>I’d <b>had </b>up earlier, wasing undone, so I just pulled out the hair tie and let it tumble down <b>around </b><b>my </b>shoulders. A few loose strands, marked by the stic, fell in soft, tempting waves around my face.


    My features were naturally attractive, and with the alcohol buzzing in my veins, my gaze turned <b>sultry </b>and unfocused as I watched the young guys on stage.


    Watching them pull off those provocative dance moves, I couldn’t help but imagine Ryan in their ce. If he were up there, slowly unbuttoning his shirt, peeling it off piece by piece, until all that was left was that slim ck tie draped over his toned chest…


    “Ugh…” My stomach lurched and I almost gagged. I shot up from my seat and bolted for the


    bathroom.


    ‘What the hell is wrong with me? Why am I even fantasizing about Ryan doing something so seductive?‘ I thought, feeling like I was losing it.


    ‘I’m totally out of control.‘


    Inside the bathroom, I caught the sound of a woman’s flirty gigglesing from one of the stalls, mixed with a guy’s gentle murmurs.


    My brain just shorted out, and I bolted out of there like I’d just crashed someone else’s private


    moment.


    No more drinks for me–I needed to step outside and let some cold air hit me.


    Outside, the snow had stopped. I walked down a narrow wooden corridor, and the chill in the air made me feel a lot better.


    One of my coworkers from PR came out looking for me. She was known for her drinking tolerance, but she looked concerned. “Vic, looks like you’ve had a bit much. Do you want me to take you home?”


    Tshook my head. “No, it’s okay. I want to stay a little longer.”


    “Alright, but don’t stay out too long, okay? With how pretty you are, a bunch of guys were just trying to get your number,” she joked.


    I just gave a helplessugh. “Don’t give it to them. I really can’t be bothered.”


    She cracked a few more jokes before heading back inside–it was freezing out there.


    I was only wearing a sweater, but with the alcohol in my system, I didn’t really feel the chill.


    Chapter <b>550- </b>


    Leaning against the wall, out of nowhere, a shadowy figure walked up beside me. I turned <b>to </b>see <b>who </b>


    it was<b>. </b>


    In my tipsy haze, I could’ve sworn I saw Ryan…