Isaac didn't move for a long time after Elias left. The city outside his window glimmered with the indifferent pulse of late evening, cars, glass, light, movement. Everything alive except him. His phone buzzed once. Emily, sending an updated itinerary for the upcoming board meeting. Mina, forwarding a finalized report with a little yellow star emoji in the subject line.
He stared at the emoji longer than he should've. Then, almost angrily, locked the screen. He couldn't afford distraction. Not now. Especially not when Elias had already scented blood.
And yet, he could still hear her laugh echoing faintly in memory. "Sir, you really should try bungeoppang at least once in your life!"
He had brushed it off at the time, too used to her noise. But now it was that same noise that filled the quiet spaces Elias had left behind.
When he finally stood, he did so with purpose. The next few days, he told himself, he'd put distance between them. Let the gossip die. Let Elias lose interest.
