The quiet hum of the engine wrapped around the car like a soft, steady lullaby, but it did nothing to calm the storm building inside Zachary's mind.
"Mr. Handsome Zach… If I really lose my job…"
Her voice sounds soft, fragile, and slightly slurred, echoed again in his memory, as if it had settled there without permission.
It didn't sound like the composed woman he had just shared dinner with.
It didn't sound like the confident manager who handled guests with calm ease.
It sounded… vulnerable.
Zachary's grip around his phone tightened slightly, his knuckles turning pale as his gaze drifted toward the tall apartment building standing quietly outside his car window.
Lights flickered behind a few windows, ordinary and peaceful, yet somehow, he felt uneasy.
He could sense her sadness through that brief moment. It wasn't loud or dramatic. It was subtle, almost hidden between her playful tone and drunken laughter. But it was there.
