Chapter 1 - The First Quiet Evening“That high,” Adrienne repeated, her voice carrying an even, untouchable calm that Nolan didn't register. He was already checking the screen of his phone, his thumb flicking across a notification from his chief of security regarding a late-night freight shipment at the Brooklyn docks.
“Good work,” Nolan said, his eyes still glued to the glowing glass. “My office will send out the formal press release on Monday. Let’s make sure the board chairmen get the credit on the front page.”
“Of course,” Adrienne said softly.
He finally looked up, frowning faintly at her tone. “Are you tired?”
“A little.”
“Go home then. I have to finish the final round of drinks with the Hawthorne investors, but I’ll catch a car later.”
“Take your time,” Adrienne said.
She turned away before he could ask anything else. She didn't wait for his kiss on her cheek. She didn't adjust his lapel. She walked out through the grand arched doors of the Metropolitan Lyric Hall, climbed into the back of the waiting town car, and told the driver to take her to the townhouse on Seventy-Fourth Street.
For seven years, that car ride had been filled with a low, nervous hum of anticipation—she would mentally review every guest who had spoken to Nolan, calculate which introductions needed follow-up emails, and prepare herself to listen to him decompress.
This time, Adrienne stared out the rain-streaked window at the neon glow of Manhattan.
The silence inside the car wasn't heavy.
May you like
It was empty.
And for the first time in a very long time, empty felt like relief.
