Chapter 12

Derek stood in the dim hallway of D’Wines headquarters. The board dinner’s noise—clinking glasses, fake laughs—faded behind him as the heavy door swung shut. Elena had slipped out for air fifteen minutes ago. Too long. His stomach twisted into a hard knot. He adjusted his tie, the silk damp under his fingers from nervous sweat. Something felt wrong. He pushed through the glass doors to the parking lot. The night air hit him—cold, salty, sharp with the tang of seaweed from the cliffs below. Her car sat under a flickering streetlight, its silver paint dull in the shadows. Empty. He froze. Something glinted on the asphalt, catching the weak light. Her keys. Next to them, her purse lay spilled—lipstick rolling loose, wallet open, phone face-up. His breath caught in his throat, a ragged gasp. He stepped closer, gravel crunching under his polished shoes.