Chapter 43: Before My Last Day On Earth.

Chapter 43: Before My Last Day On Earth.
Jade's POV

“Are you okay?” I asked quietly, leaning a little closer.

Eric sat behind his desk, eyes lost somewhere far beyond the walls of his office. His jaw was tense, one hand rubbing his temple as if trying to chase away a thought that wouldn’t leave.

He didn’t look up when he answered, “Yeah, I am.”

I tilted my head, studying him. “You don’t look fine.”

He finally sighed and said, “Please, Jade. I just… want to be alone for a bit.”

“Oh, it’s alright,” I said softly, standing up. I turned toward the door, trying not to take it personally.

But then... “Wait.”

I paused and looked back. “Sir?”

He gestured with two fingers. “Come.”

My heart gave a small, nervous thud. I walked back to the chair across from him and sat.

He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, voice low. “You want to know what’s wrong with me?”

“Yes,” I said carefully, “but it’s fine if you don’t want...”

“Shut up and listen,” he interrupted sharply.

I nodded quickly, hands on my lap.

He exhaled. “The government just banned the use of AI and humanoid robots. The effect starts next month.”

My chest clenched. “Fuck, fuck… seriously?”

He raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Uh...no, I mean…” I stuttered, forcing a calm voice. “That’s… terrible. I was just trying to understand how you’re going to keep up with your bills if your only source of income is gone.”

He stared at me for a long, unreadable second, then said quietly, “You actually considered me?”

“Yes. Who wouldn’t?” I said honestly.

He gave a dry, bitter laugh. “My supposed fiancée, apparently.”

“Who?” I asked.

“Who else?”

“Oh. Sasha,” I murmured.

He nodded once, rubbing his jaw. “She doesn’t care about the business. She only cares about what the tabloids say.”

“So what do you plan to do?” I asked gently.

He shrugged. “I don’t know at this point.”

“Then let’s make plans.”

He looked up at me. “Plans? In a month? That’s not possible.”

“You don’t believe in me,” I said softly. “Or you don’t think I’m worth planning with?”

That hit him.

He exhaled slowly, then gave a small nod. “Alright. Bring it on.”

“Okay,” I said, leaning forward. “First, which local city isn’t under full government control?”

He rubbed his chin, thinking. “That should be the Southern Units.”

“Good. So during their business days, we ship your robots and machines there, quietly.”

He blinked, the spark in his eyes slowly returning. “Wait. If I ship them there, my overseas clients can pick them up directly from that zone.”

I smiled. “Exactly. You won’t lose your network.. you’ll just reroute your system.”

He stood up suddenly, running a hand through his hair. “Holy shit. That’s genius!” He turned, laughing a little too loud. “Jade, you just saved my entire business.”

I stood too, smiling shyly. “That’s part of my job.”

“No,” he said, his voice softer now. “You don’t understand. You just saved my life.”

He pulled me into a hug without thinking. His chest was warm and solid against me, his breath hot near my ear. When he pulled back, our eyes locked...and something unspoken passed between us.

The kind of silence that burns louder than words.
His gaze dropped to my lips for a second too long.

My breath hitched.“Uh, I should… get back to work,” I whispered.

He shook his head slightly, as if snapping out of it. “No. Wait.” He checked his watch and smiled faintly. “Cool. Uh...whays her name...Freda??”

Freda peeked her head in almost immediately. “Yes, sir?”

“Take her shopping,” he said, nodding at me.

“Wait...sir, I don’t.."

“Shut up,” he said without looking at me.
I swallowed and nodded.

He continued, “By seven tonight, prepare yourself. I’m taking you out.”

“Sir, I can’t..."

He stepped forward and placed a finger gently on my lips. “It’s just a thank-you outing, not a date.”

I blinked fast.

Before I could speak, Freda’s heel pressed against my foot under the table. I caught her subtle nod.

“Okay,” I whispered.

“Sure.”He smirked. “Good. I’ll come pick you up.”

He turned to leave, calling over his shoulder, “Lock my office when you’re done. I’m out for the day.”

As soon as the door clicked, Freda squealed and grabbed my shoulders. “Girl?! Are you crazy?”

I frowned. “You don’t understand..."

“There’s nothing to understand when an alpha boss says he’s taking you out!” she said, shaking me like a maraca.

“It’s just a thank you,” I argued weakly.

“Girl,” she said, dead serious, “that’s just his pride speaking. Don’t be a dimwit.”

“I’d rather be a dimwit than believe your delusions,” I muttered, grabbing my bag.

“Fine,” she said with a smirk. “If you’re not interested, maybe you can tell him I’m a good cook.”

I rolled my eyes. “It wasn’t food. It was just tea.”

“That was my mood swings cooking, not tea,” she teased, laughing as we headed for the elevator.

We drove through the city, wind brushing against my face as Freda kept talking about him, about us, about everything I didn’t want to think about.

“How did you do it, girl?” she asked suddenly.

“I… made him a favorite snack,” I lied quickly.

No way was I telling her I’d just saved his company’s future. That’d bruise his ego.

Freda smirked. “Uh-huh. His favorite snack, right. Bet you were the dessert.”

“Freda!” I laughed, smacking her arm.

She winked. “I’m just saying, you lucky thing.”

I parked near the supermarket. She jumped out, already filming a short clip for her vlog. “Hey everyone, your girl’s out shopping with her hot bestie....”

I quickly pulled her phone down. “Stop it, Freda. Don’t post this.”

“Fine, fine,” she said, slipping the phone in her purse. “Lead the way, Miss Corporate Cinderella.”

We walked in.

A middle-aged woman greeted us warmly, “Greetings, girlies.”

“Hi,” I said politely.

Freda was already pulling clothes off racks, holding dresses against me. “This one screams take me, boss.”

“Freda, please,” I groaned. But my mind was somewhere else.

My chest felt heavy.

If what Eric said was true...if the government truly banned all AI...then Eros wasn’t safe.

I swallowed hard, feeling my throat tighten.

“Hey,” I said to Freda, “I’ll be right back. Need to grab a drink.”

“Sure, baby. I got you,” she said, distracted by a rack of shoes.

I walked into the small café beside the store. The air smelled like roasted beans and cinnamon. I ordered an iced drink and leaned on the counter, eyes drifting to the television hanging above.

A news anchor’s voice filled the room:
“The ban on all humanoid AI systems and mechanical partners will officially begin next month…”

I froze.

Same words Eric said.

My hands started trembling. I grabbed my phone and dialed Mrs. Samantha.

She picked up almost immediately. “Yes, girl? You need my help?”

“Uh, yeah,” I said, voice shaking. “About Eros…”

“Oh, you wish to speak to him?” she asked, her tone eerily calm.

“Wait...speak to him? You are...? No, no...”

Her voice darkened. “Who plays the better game now, girl?”

My heart sank. “No. Don’t fucking touch him. Don’t....”

The line went dead.

I stood there frozen, staring at my reflection in the glass. Then panic took over.

I turned and bolted out the café, eyes burning.“No, no, no…” I whispered, dialing again, but the call didn’t go through.

“Jade!” Freda’s voice echoed behind me. “What’s wrong?!”

I didn’t answer.
I was already running, crossing the street without looking.

A blinding horn screamed through the air.

“Jadeeee!” Freda screamed.

I turned...just in time to see the car coming at full speed.
And then everything went blank.

All I remembered was the sound.
The metal.
The silence.
And then...nothing.