Their agreed deal began the following Monday morning. Victoria still dragged her feet but reluctantly followed through with their arrangement. She moved around his apartment with obvious reluctance, gathering her things at a pace that suggested she was hoping the world might end before she actually had to leave for work.
Each step toward the door felt like walking through quicksand. Her chest tightened with every passing second, anxiety clawing at her throat as the reality of spending an entire day away from James crashed over her in waves. The very thought of not seeing his face, not hearing his voice, not being able to reach out and touch him made her stomach churn with nausea.
James watched her from the kitchen as he made coffee, recognizing the stalling tactics but refusing to acknowledge them. The sooner they established this new routine, the better it would be for both of them. Still, seeing her obvious distress stirred something uncomfortable in his chest. He hated how her pain affected him, hated that part of him wanted to call off their deal and let her stay.
"Victoria, you're going to be late," he called out when she spent five full minutes looking for her car keys that were sitting in plain sight on the counter. His voice came out sharper than intended, a defense against the sympathy threatening to weaken his resolve.
She appeared in the doorway, fully dressed but wearing an expression of someone being sent to their execution. Her eyes were wide with barely contained panic, and James could see the rapid rise and fall of her chest as she struggled to control her breathing. "I know where my keys are."
"Then perhaps you should use them." The words tasted bitter in his mouth, but he forced them out anyway.
Victoria walked slowly to the counter, her hands trembling slightly as she picked up her keys. Each movement felt mechanical, like she was fighting against every instinct in her body. The metal felt cold and foreign in her palm, a tangible reminder of the separation about to occur.
But just as James thought he might actually get through this first morning without incident, she stopped and turned back to him. The look in her eyes was desperate, wild, like a drowning person reaching for a lifeline.
"James?"
"What now?" But even as irritation colored his voice, James felt his heart rate accelerate. He recognized that look, that tone, and every alarm bell in his head started ringing.
Before he could react, Victoria pulled him into a messy kiss, her hands fisting in his shirt as she pressed her lips against his with desperate hunger. The kiss was wet, aggressive, and completely unexpected. She kissed him like she was trying to memorize the taste of him, like she might die if she didn't have this moment.
James's body responded instantly, a jolt of electricity shooting through him before his mind caught up and he pulled back. He stared at her in disbelief and anger, his heart hammering against his ribs while his lips still tingled from her touch. The betrayal of his own body's response only fueled his fury.
"What the hell was that?"
Victoria simply shrugged, adjusting her purse strap as if nothing had happened, though James could see the flush in her cheeks and the slight tremor in her hands. "I needed my vitamins for the morning."
"Your vitamins?" James's voice rose with indignation, his face heating with a mixture of anger and unwanted arousal that made him feel sick with himself.
"Mmm," Victoria hummed, already heading for the door, but not before James caught the satisfied gleam in her eyes. "Essential nutrients for a productive day."
James felt his temper explode like a dam bursting. The manipulation, the casual way she treated his boundaries, the smug satisfaction on her face, it all coalesced into a rage that made his hands shake. Without another word, he grabbed his own keys and stormed out of the apartment, his vision blurred with anger as he drove off without bothering to see her off.
In his rearview mirror, he caught a glimpse of Victoria's satisfied smile as she got into her own car, and the sight made him want to scream. She had gotten exactly what she wanted, and they both knew it.
Victoria arrived at Sharp Innovations after a week long absence, walking through the lobby with the confident stride of someone who owned the place. But beneath the surface, her stomach was already knotting with anxiety. Every step away from James felt wrong, unnatural, like she was moving against the very laws of physics.
Her employees watched her with poorly concealed curiosity, whispers following in her wake. Victoria tried to ignore the stares, but each questioning look felt like a spotlight on her recent breakdown, her weakness, her desperate need for the man she had driven away.
Amara, her secretary, practically vibrated with questions when Victoria entered the executive floor. Her eyes were bright with barely contained curiosity, but she held back from asking anything directly after all, she was still the boss.
"Good morning, Ms. Sharp," Amara said carefully, though Victoria could hear the dozen unasked questions lurking behind the professional greeting. "Your schedule has been adjusted for your return. The board meeting has been moved to Wednesday, and I've prioritized the most urgent items that require your attention."
"Thank you, Amara," Victoria replied, settling into her office as if she had never been away. But the familiar space felt foreign now, cold and empty without James's presence. Every minute that passed felt like an eternity, and she found herself checking her phone obsessively, counting down the hours until she could return to him.
The unusual behavior was unheard of in the history of her company. Victoria Sharp had never taken unscheduled time off, had never disappeared without detailed instructions and contingency plans. It had never happened. The absence raised questions throughout the organization, whispered conversations in break rooms and concerned emails between department heads