The next morning the executive floor of Sovereign was already buzzing with quiet activity.
Computers hummed.
Phones rang softly.
Employees moved between glass offices carrying files and tablets.
Inside the largest office at the end of the hall, Sebastian Wolfe sat behind his desk.
He had arrived earlier than usual.
His laptop was open in front of him, several reports spread across the desk. The skyline of the city stretched behind him through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
But despite the mountain of work, Sebastian wasn't focused.
His expression was tight.
Cold.
Unreadable.
He hadn't slept.
Not really.
The entire night had been restless, his mind replaying the argument with Lillian over and over again.
Her voice.
Her anger.
The hurt in her eyes.
And those final words.
"I don't care about you anymore."
Sebastian tried to shake the thought away and focused back on his laptop.
Work.
Work always fixed everything.
A knock interrupted the silence.
Three soft taps against the glass doors.
Sebastian didn't look up.
"Come in."
The door opened carefully and one of the assistants stepped inside. He held a white envelope in his hand.
"Mr. Wolfe?"
Sebastian kept typing.
"Yes?"
The assistant walked closer to the desk and held the envelope out.
"This just arrived for you."
Sebastian's eyes remained on the screen.
"Who's it from?"
There was a small pause.
"Miss Parker."
Sebastian's fingers froze on the keyboard.
For the first time since the assistant entered the room, Sebastian looked up.
His sharp blue eyes moved immediately to the envelope.
"Give it to me."
The assistant placed it on the desk.
Sebastian took it slowly.
"Anything else?" Sebastian asked.
"No, sir."
"You're dismissed."
The assistant nodded quickly and left the office.
The glass door shut behind him.
Silence returned.
Sebastian stared down at the envelope in his hands.
Lillian Parker.
Her name was written neatly on the front.
His jaw tightened slightly.
For several seconds he didn't move.
He just stared at it.
Across the hallway, Chloe noticed.
From her desk she could see straight through the glass walls of Sebastian's office.
She leaned forward slightly.
"That's weird," she muttered to herself.
Sebastian rarely received physical letters.
Most communication happened through email.
Something about the envelope made her curious.
Inside the office, Sebastian slowly slid his finger under the seal and opened it.
He pulled the folded paper out.
Unfolded it.
And began reading.
The moment his eyes reached the first sentence, his expression changed.
Subtly.
Almost imperceptibly.
His brow tightened.
He read further.
And further.
Then he reached the final line.
Sincerely,
Lillian Parker
Sebastian didn't move.
The paper remained in his hand.
His eyes stayed on the page.
But he wasn't reading anymore.
He just… stared.
Something in his expression had completely shifted.
His usual composed confidence was gone.
In its place was something else.
Something hollow.
Across the hall, Chloe sat up straighter.
"Oh no…"
She immediately grabbed her phone and opened her messages.
Chloe:
He just read your letter.
Across the city, Lillian's phone buzzed on the kitchen table in Chloe's apartment.
Lillian picked it up quickly.
Her heart skipped when she saw Chloe's name.
She opened the message immediately.
A few seconds later she typed back.
Lillian:
How did he react?
Back at Sovereign, Chloe glanced toward Sebastian's office again.
He hadn't moved.
Still sitting.
Still holding the paper.
Still staring straight ahead at absolutely nothing.
Chloe frowned.
She didn't know how to explain what she was seeing.
So she typed.
Chloe:
I don't know how to describe it.
Lillian responded almost instantly.
Lillian:
What do you mean?
Chloe looked up again.
Sebastian hadn't blinked.
Hadn't shifted.
He looked like someone had pulled the ground out from under him.
Chloe typed again.
Chloe:
He looks… lost.
Another message.
Chloe:
And broken.
Lillian stared at the screen.
Her chest tightened slightly.
She didn't reply immediately.
Back at Sovereign, the entire office floor continued working quietly.
No one realized what was happening inside Sebastian's office.
Except Chloe.
She kept glancing toward him.
Something about his stillness was unsettling.
Minutes passed.
Sebastian remained frozen in his chair.
The letter rested loosely in his hand now.
His mind replayed every moment with Lillian.
Her staying at the mansion.
Her helping him after surgery.
The nights she stayed awake because of his insomnia.
The way she argued with him when he refused to take medication.
And yesterday.
The hallway.
The argument.
The hurt on her face.
"I don't care about you anymore."
Sebastian's chest tightened.
Something snapped.
Suddenly—
He stood up so abruptly his chair slammed backward.
The sudden movement startled several employees outside.
Before anyone could react—
Sebastian grabbed his laptop.
And shoved it violently off the desk.
It crashed onto the floor with a loud CLATTER.
"Damn it!" he shouted.
The swear echoed through the glass office.
The entire executive floor went silent.
Every employee turned toward his office.
Chloe's eyes widened.
"Whoa…"
Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, breathing hard.
His usual calm composure was completely gone.
He looked furious.
Frustrated.
And deeply shaken.
Without saying a word, Sebastian grabbed his coat and stormed toward the door.
He shoved the glass door open and walked straight into the hallway.
Everyone immediately looked away, pretending to work.
No one dared say a word.
Sebastian walked past them without acknowledging anyone.
His expression was dark.
Tense.
He pressed the elevator button hard.
The doors opened.
He stepped inside.
And disappeared.
Chloe blinked.
Then quickly grabbed her phone again.
Chloe:
Okay… update.
Across the city, Lillian read the new message.
Lillian:
What happened?
Chloe typed quickly.
Chloe:
He just lost it.
Chloe:
Like… completely lost it.
Lillian frowned.
Lillian:
What do you mean?
Chloe looked toward Sebastian's empty office.
The broken laptop still lay on the floor.
She shook her head slightly.
Chloe:
He shoved his laptop off the desk and swore.
Chloe:
Then he stormed out and took the elevator down.
Lillian stared at the messages.
Her expression hardened.
She typed back.
Lillian:
Good.
A moment later another message appeared.
Lillian:
He deserves it.
Chloe raised an eyebrow reading that.
She smirked slightly and began typing again.
Chloe:
Wow.
Chloe:
I thought you liked him.
Lillian didn't hesitate.
Lillian:
Not anymore.
A second later she added another message.
Lillian:
I could never like a man like him.
Chloe leaned back in her chair, studying the words.
She wasn't convinced.
She typed again.
Chloe:
Then explain something to me.
Lillian waited.
The next message appeared.
Chloe:
If he means nothing to you…
Chloe:
Why did his reaction affect you enough to ask?
Lillian didn't reply.
Chloe continued typing.
Chloe:
And another thing.
A pause.
Then the message arrived.
Chloe:
Do you think Sebastian likes you?
Lillian stared at the phone.
Her mind replayed Chloe's earlier message.
"He looks lost and broken."
Then the next one.
"He shoved his laptop off the desk."
Then she remembered his voice yesterday.
The anger.
The frustration.
But also something else she hadn't understood at the time.
Lillian slowly typed a reply.
Then stopped.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.
She didn't know the answer.
After several seconds she locked her phone and set it down on the table.
Across the city, Chloe looked at the screen.
No reply.
She smiled slightly.
"Yeah," she muttered quietly.
"You definitely still like him."
Meanwhile…
Sebastian Wolfe stepped out of the Sovereign building and into the cold morning air.
His mind was still racing.
Lillian's resignation letter replayed in his head.
Over and over.
"I can no longer continue…"
His chest felt tight.
For the first time in years, Sebastian Wolfe had absolutely no idea what to do next.