Chapter 2

Elinor walked from the hallway into the master bedroom.

She walked straight to the walk-in closet. She bypassed the rows of designer dresses and custom heels. She reached up and pulled a simple, worn suitcase from the top shelf.

She laid it open on the king-sized bed. She methodically folded her clothes. Plain sweaters. Denim jeans. Cotton shirts. Her movements were stiff and mechanical. Her joints felt rusted.

Gavin leaned against the doorframe. He watched her pack. The slight frown remained on his face.

He noted her selections. She was only taking her basic clothes. The items she brought with her three years ago. She was leaving all the designer bags, the jewelry, the expensive coats behind.

Gavin stepped into the room. The thick carpet absorbed the sound of his leather shoes.

"You don't have to do this tonight," he said. "Wait until morning. Dante can drive you."

Elinor zipped the suitcase shut. The harsh, grating sound of the metal zipper cut through his sentence.

She didn't turn around. "A clean break is best done immediately."

Her tone was utterly dismissive. It lacked the soft, accommodating cadence he was used to.

Gavin felt an unfamiliar pinch of irritation. His jaw clenched. He didn't like the way she dismissed him.

Elinor grabbed her wool coat from the bed. She gripped the handle of the suitcase and rolled it toward the bedroom door.

Gavin blocked her path instinctively. His tall, broad frame loomed over her, filling the doorway.

Elinor stopped. She tilted her head up. Her eyes met his. They were completely devoid of the warmth and adoration he had seen every day for three years. They looked like dark, still water.

"Please step aside, Mr. Corbett."

The formal title grated on Gavin's nerves. A muscle ticked in his cheek.

"Mr. Corbett?" he repeated, his voice dropping an octave.

Elinor didn't blink. She just waited.

He stepped aside slowly. The friction in the air was palpable. He allowed her to pass into the hallway.

Elinor walked to the private elevator at the end of the hall. She pressed the down button. The red light illuminated her pale face.

Gavin followed her out. He stopped a few feet away.

"It's raining," he insisted, his tone hardening. "I'll call Dante."

Elinor stared at the changing elevator numbers. She completely ignored his offer. It was as if he wasn't even speaking.

The elevator chimes rang. The heavy silver doors slid open.

Elinor stepped inside. She turned around to face Gavin. She reached out and pressed the lobby button.

Gavin moved forward. He reached out and placed a large hand on the elevator door to stop it from closing. The sensor beeped in protest.

"Don't be stubborn, Elinor," he said. His tone carried a hint of a command. The CEO speaking to a subordinate.

Elinor looked down at his hand gripping the metal door. Then she looked back up into his eyes. Her gaze was piercing.

"Your concern is no longer appropriate," she said quietly. "Or necessary."

Gavin's hand faltered. The absolute rejection in her voice hit him unexpectedly. His grip on the door loosened in surprise.

The elevator doors slid shut. The metal panels seamlessly closed together, cutting off his view of her face.

Elinor let go of her suitcase. She leaned heavily against the cold metal wall of the elevator.

A single tear finally escaped. It tracked hot and fast down her cheek.

She quickly wiped the tear away with the back of her hand. She took a deep breath to steady herself. Suddenly, a wave of intense nausea hit her stomach. The elevator's descent made her head spin. She swallowed hard, pressing a hand to her mouth.

Upstairs, Gavin stood alone in the empty penthouse hallway. He stared at the closed elevator doors, a flicker of deep annoyance crossing his handsome features. He was entirely unaccustomed to his directives being so thoroughly ignored. The sudden silence of the apartment was merely an unfamiliar, irritating variable in his meticulously controlled environment.

His phone buzzed in his pocket.

He pulled it out. The screen lit up with a text from Bella.

I missed you today. Can't wait to see you.

Gavin looked at Bella's name on the screen. He expected to feel the familiar sense of duty and relief. Instead, he felt a hollow emptiness expanding in his chest.