My face stayed calm, even though the ground had just shifted under my feet. I looked toward the window, toward the distant skyline, the clouds, the jagged tips of skyscrapers… It was the same gray, unwelcoming sky that had hung above me and Sariel on that island, when it was just the two of us—and everything had been so tragically simple.
This was the moment. I had to choose:
Deny Sariel.
Or deny theentire lifeI’d built over fifteen years in this company.
My hand moved on its own, rising to my chest, where I felt the faithful pounding of my heart, so alive, so passionate. The heart that had never given up. That kept going forward even when it felt like the whole damn universe was against us. When I’d walked down that beach, half-dead, searching for Sariel…
It was my heart that had carried me here.
"I’m sorry, Jacob," I said quietly, softly. "But I can’t make you that promise. So consider this my official resignation. Thank you for all the opportunities, for every chance to grow professionally, and for being such a good boss all these years."
Then I stepped back, gave him a respectful nod, turned around, and walked out of that office, leaving Jacob standing there with wide-open eyes and parted lips, as if cut off mid-word.
At an even pace, I walked to my office, calmly opened the cabinet, and took out the few personal things I kept inside. I cleared out the drawers too. I emptied one of the supply bins I used for spare folders and transferred all my stuff into it. My movements were steady, measured. I didn’t feel anxious. I felt completely at peace. I knew this was the right decision, my heart also knew it, without a single doubt.
Then I opened the door and stepped into the hallway.
As I walked toward the elevator, Manager Lorens caught up with me. He didn’t even notice the box in my hands, he was too seized by some strange excitement.
"Did you read the interview? With Sariel? It’s in today’s issue of East Times!"
My heart sped up, my breath catching in my throat. But before I could answer, he blurted out,
"You’re truly a hero, Director. The boy told everything in the interview. What you did. I guess it’s hard to imagine what people are capable of, how heroic they can be. But who ever does, until the time of trials and tribulations comes?" He grinned innocently, but his eyes were wide with respect.
Then, spotting another employee farther down the hallway, he added, "Sorry, I’ve gotta run, I need to talk to Devon about that January report. But I’m really curious if Jacob’s seen it yet. It just went live a few minutes ago. Might be quite the revelation for him, haha…" An awkward giggle slipped out.
Without waiting for my reply, he spun around and hurried off.
A little dazed, I kept walking. When I stopped next to the elevator, I hesitated. Should I read the interview now?
Would it even change anything?
Because I had already made up my mind.
Nothing could sway me.
Nothing.
When I reached the first floor and stepped outside, the wind hit my face, fresh, full of spring, full of the noise and scent of the city at rush hour. I drew in a deep breath.
My heart beat calmly and confidently in my chest, reaffirming what I already knew—I’d made the right choice.
Because there never could’ve been any other, not when it came to Sariel.
***
When I got home, the decision was already settled as firmly in my heart as if it had lived there comfortably for days.
This time, I showered off the masking deodorant, shaved, and planned how I would go to him, to his home. Unfortunately, he lived with Jacob, which meant I’d have to endure a follow-up to our conversation.
As I glanced at my phone, I was surprised to see a missed call.
From… Jacob.
What the hell did he want from me? Had he read the interview? Whatever was in it, did it make him reconsider, or did it enrage him even more?
