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The day dragged on in a blur of paperwork and half-hearted conversations.

I couldn't focus. Matthew’s call and the urgency in his voice weighed on me like a physical burden, and the deeper I thought about it, the more I realized how much danger we were in.

His absence was palpable, like a constant ache I couldn’t ignore.

I sat at my desk, tapping my pen against the surface, my mind lost in thought. The office felt so much quieter without Matthew's presence.

His usual commanding demeanor, the way he filled every room he entered, was missing.

I hated how much I missed him, and I hated even more that he felt so far away, unreachable.

Julian, ever the joker, strolled into my office, his presence a welcome distraction.

He was still wearing that trademark smirk, like he knew something I didn’t.

It irked me how little he seemed to care about the stress that was slowly taking over my life.

“Hey, earth to Gabrielle,” he said, waving his hand in front of my face. “You look like you’ve been staring at that stack of papers for hours.”

I blinked and glanced at the pile in front of me. I hadn’t even noticed it. “Sorry, just... distracted.”

Julian took a seat in the chair across from me, his eyes narrowing. “Is this about Matthew?” he asked, his tone more serious than I expected.

I nodded. “I just don’t get it, Julian. There’s so much going on, and I don’t even know what to do anymore. I can’t help but feel like something’s going to go horribly wrong.”

He leaned back, crossing his arms. “Listen, you’re not the only one worried. But you need to trust that Matthew knows what he’s doing.

He’s been around for centuries. He’s faced a lot worse than whatever’s going on right now. And you—well, you’ve got your own strengths. Don’t forget that.”

I let out a shaky breath, rubbing my temples. “I’m just so tired of feeling like I’m in over my head. I don’t even know who to trust anymore.”

Julian studied me, his gaze softening. “I get it. But you’ve got to trust yourself, Gabrielle. I’m not saying it’ll be easy, but you’ve got this. And Matthew, well, he’s not the type to leave you hanging. He’s just—complicated.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at his understatement. “Yeah, that’s one way to put it.”

Julian smiled, but there was a flicker of concern in his eyes. “You’re not alone in this, you know. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here.”

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed on my desk. I glanced at the screen, my heart skipping a beat when I saw it was a message from Matthew.

Stay safe. I’ll be there soon. Don’t leave the office until I get back.

The words were simple, but the urgency was clear. He was worried, and it made me anxious.

I tapped out a quick reply, my fingers trembling slightly. I’m fine, Matthew. Just waiting for you.

When I hit send, I felt a strange sense of calm settle over me, but it didn’t last long. The thought of what was happening in the background, of what Matthew was dealing with, gnawed at me.

“Everything okay?” Julian asked, leaning forward with an unreadable expression.

“Yeah,” I replied quickly, stuffing my phone back into my purse. “It’s just... I don’t know. I think I’m just feeling a little overwhelmed.”

“You’re not the only one,” Julian said, his tone light. “This place is falling apart without Matthew around. It’s like... someone turned off the lights and all the mice started scurrying.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his analogy. “Yeah, I guess that’s one way to put it.”

Just then, my office door opened, and I looked up to see a colleague—someone from HR—standing in the doorway. “Gabrielle, there’s an urgent matter we need to discuss. Can you come with me?”

I glanced at Julian, who gave me a nod of encouragement. “Go ahead. I’ll hold down the fort.”

I stood up and followed the HR representative down the hall, my heart racing for reasons I couldn’t fully explain. As I walked through the hall, I tried to push the thoughts of danger and uncertainty out of my mind. Everything was fine, I told myself. Matthew would be back soon, and everything would go back to normal.

But as I entered the meeting room, my breath caught in my throat. The room was tense, and every pair of eyes in the room was on me.

The HR representative motioned for me to sit, and I did so reluctantly, the weight of the stares pressing down on me. I had no idea what was going on, but something felt off.

“Gabrielle,” one of the higher-ups began, “we need to discuss the situation with the investors. There have been some concerns about the... recent events. The company’s reputation could be at risk, and we need to figure out a way to address it.”

I nodded, trying to focus, but my thoughts kept wandering back to Matthew. What was he doing right now? Was he okay?

“Do you have anything to say about the matter?” the higher-up pressed.

Before I could respond, the door to the meeting room opened abruptly, and Matthew walked in. His presence was like a storm, filling the room with a mixture of relief and tension.

“I believe the matter has been addressed,” Matthew said, his voice cool but commanding.

The entire room fell silent. I could feel the weight of everyone’s attention shift to him, and for a moment, I just stared at him. He looked exhausted, his jaw tight, and there was something in his eyes that made my heart ache.

He didn’t even glance at me as he spoke, but his words were meant for everyone, and they were undeniable.

“Gabrielle will handle things. I trust her. And if there’s any further issue, we’ll address it on our own terms.”

His gaze finally landed on me, and for a brief moment, our eyes locked. I could feel the unspoken words between us, the connection that was growing deeper, more intense.

But the moment didn’t last long. Matthew turned on his heel and left the room, his shadow lingering long after he was gone.

I stayed there for a moment longer, unsure of what to do next. It was as though everything had shifted, and nothing would ever be the same again.

I had no idea what was coming, but I could feel it—something big was about to happen. And this time, I had no idea if I’d be ready for it.