Lina didn't go to work the next day.
Or the day after that.
For the first time since she started—
She stayed away.
At home, she sat beside her mother's bed, quietly peeling fruit.
"You should rest," her mother said gently.
"I'm fine."
But she wasn't.
Her thoughts kept returning to one thing.
Because I can.
Those words echoed in her mind again and again.
"…I didn't ask for help," she whispered.
"And yet…"
Her grip tightened.
"…Why does it hurt so much?"
It wasn't the money.
It wasn't even the secrecy.
It was the distance in his words.
Like everything he did—
Was something she could never reach.
Something she could never stand beside.
Meanwhile—
At the office—
The absence was obvious.
"…She's not here?"
"For two days now…"
Adrian stood by the window.
Silent.
Unmoving.
The office felt colder again.
Like something important was missing.
"…Sir," an employee approached carefully, "should we contact—"
"No."
Too quick.
Too firm.
The employee stepped back immediately.
But Adrian's hand tightened slightly at his side.
"…She'll come back," he said quietly.
As if convincing himself.