We had not even properly landed home yet, and everything was falling apart.
The euphoria of the island had evaporated the moment the landing gear touched the tarmac, replaced by a suffocating dread.
He had spent the entire flight coordinating damage control for the warehouse fire and the logistics breach. Now, in the car, he was silent, his hand gripping mine so tight it almost hurt. I was meant to be the one sorting this out.
But he insisted that he do it for me.
"It's a distraction," he said suddenly, his voice cutting through the hum of the engine.
I looked at him, startled. "The fire?"
"The fire. The contract termination. It's all noise," he murmured, his eyes fixed on the rain-slicked road ahead. "Lixuan knows he can't bankrupt me with a few burnt dresses. He's trying to pull my attention away from something else."
My stomach twisted. "Away from what?"
I knew the answer even before he spoke.
