CHAPTER 72: STALKING OLD PHOTOS

DAMIAN I scanned the empty space with my eyes as I stood in the guest room. Julie was nowhere to be found, but her belongings were still strewn all over the place. It was hours since I last saw her. I started to feel restless because of the room's overwhelming stillness. I tried to reach her before she left for the day by calling her office number. The phone rang a few times before she answered. Her voice, though tired, was still crisp. "Hello?" "It's Damian," I said, trying to keep my tone neutral. "I was wondering where you were. I thought we might talk a bit more about earlier." There was a pause on the other end, and I could almost picture her rolling her eyes. "I'm at my apartment," she replied. "Official hours are over, and I'm trying to get some rest. I didn't think we needed to continue discussing work." "I understand," I said, a hint of frustration creeping into my voice. "I just wanted to apologize for earlier. I didn't mean to push you away like that." Before I could s