The night felt colder after he left.
Chloe hadn't moved from the spot by the door. She stood there for what felt like forever, her fingers still curled around the edge of the doorknob, like if she let go, something in her would unravel.
The apartment was quiet. Too quiet.
Even the hum of the fridge or the occasional creak of the building felt distant. Like background noise in a world that had suddenly stopped making sense.
Sebastian's voice was still echoing in her mind.
"You're not what he needs."
"He might love you. But that doesn't mean he'll choose you."
She swallowed hard, the burn of humiliation and heartbreak crawling slowly up her throat. She had faced a lot in her life—more than most—but something about the way he'd spoken to her, the cold authority in his tone, made her feel small in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.
Not weak.
Just… uninvited. Like an outsider in a story, she thought she was part of.
