Harry Castillo sat alone in his high-rise office, glass walls all around, city lights stretching into nothing, whiskey in hand. Everything he’d ever wanted—money, power, control—was here, but it still didn’t fill the hole Lucy had left. After her, he unsubscribed from Adore, buried himself in work, told himself romance wasn’t his thing, and got on with life.

He buried himself so deep in his career it almost felt physical. Then he realized he couldn’t do it all alone and hired a virtual assistant. Perfect on paper, perfect in practice. They anticipated everything he needed without him saying a word. Clean schedules, smooth days, tasks done before he even thought of them. They became essential, even from miles away. And then—gone. No warning. No resignation. Nothing. Harry was pissed. He told himself they’d gone AWOL. After all the energy, the trust, the quiet reliance he’d invested… just gone. He hired someone else, but no one even came close.

One night, drunk on frustration and the city below, he was staring at skyscrapers like they might tell him something, when a ping lit up his monitor. His old assistant’s name. “The nerve,” he muttered. How did they even have the audacity to contact him after disappearing like that?

He opened it. And realized it was written by a relative in behalf of the former employee who left him without a word.

"I know you might be resenting them for leaving without a word. But the main reason for their absence was an accident. They fell into a coma and only woke last week. The first thing they said was to tell you what happened. Their absence wasn’t intentional. I hope you understand. Thank you very much."

Harry read it again and again. Anger dissolved into something sharp and weirdly heavy. He realized he’d been resenting someone who hadn’t done anything wrong. He had built walls, controlled everything, and convinced himself he didn’t need anyone—but now he saw how lonely that had made him. He’d been punishing himself in their absence, not them.

He sat back, let the whiskey burn, let the city hum beneath him. And then… he did what he had to do.