Chapter 19

IRENE'S POV The next morning, I woke up to an empty bed. My hand instinctively reached out, feeling the cool sheets where Leon had been just hours before. A pang of worry shot through me, and I sat up, pulling the blanket around me as I scanned the room. Everything was as we had left it—clothes scattered, a half-empty glass of water on the nightstand, and the scent of him still lingering in the air. But he was gone. Just as the panic began to set in, my phone buzzed on the nightstand. I grabbed it quickly, feeling relieved when I saw Leon’s name on the screen. The message was short but explained everything. "Had to leave early. Miles' scrambling—he lost several important clients after my last move. Don’t worry, see you soon." I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. So that was it. Leon had left early to deal with the fallout from the attack he’d launched on Miles' company. I couldn’t help but feel a little thrill of satisfaction at the thought of Matthew’s business crumbling