For the days that followed, I let go of everything. I stopped asking, stopped interfering, stopped existing in his orbit. Whatever he requested, I agreed without a second thought.
Ironically, my silence softened him. Kael’s anger melted, replaced by a strange tenderness that came too late.
That night, I finished drafting my resignation letter and sent it to my boss’s email. It felt like quietly closing a chapter I no longer wished to be a part of.
Kael walked in, carrying a cup of steaming water. His voice was soft, almost tender. “Skylar, why have you been staying up so late these days?”
Before I could respond, he wrapped his arms around me from behind. His breath warmed the side of my neck as he pressed gentle kisses into the curve of my shoulder.
“Kaia isn’t here tonight,” he murmured, his voice deepening. “We could…”
His breathing grew heavier, laced with a desire that no longer moved me.
I shifted away, frowning as I spoke softly, “I’m not feeling well today.”
The light in his eyes dimmed, and he forced a smile, reaching out to ruffle my hair in that familiar, patronizing way. But I stepped back, my expression blank, my silence louder than any rejection.