"I can't decide that now. If it's possible... I'll tell you. For now, I need to be away from everything. I'm sorry, Mikael."
Ken turned his back and walked away, leaving Mikael standing in the sterile school restroom. The sound of Mikael's muffled sobs echoed against the tiles, but Ken didn't turn back. Mikael had been in relationships before, and he knew that "I can't decide" was usually the polite preface to a final goodbye. The realization that his world was ending felt like a physical weight crushing his lungs.
The rest of the day was a gray blur for Mikael. He moved through the halls like an empty shell—quiet, cold, and hopeless. He went home earlier than usual, dragging his feet as he entered the Newman estate.
His parents were waiting in the living room, their faces set in stern masks. "Mikael, we need to talk now!" Leonard commanded.
"Don't worry, Dad," Mikael said, his voice hollow as he walked past them without stopping. "He broke up with me."
Leonard and Sara exchanged a surprised look. They had been prepared to give him an ultimatum, to threaten his inheritance, or to escalate their sabotage. They hadn't expected the relationship to collapse under its own weight so quickly. Mikael climbed the stairs to his room and fell into a dark, dreamless sleep before his head even hit the pillow.
While Mikael mourned, Ken went to the restaurant to secure his week of leave. He needed to make up for the time he had lost with his mother. Delvon, ever the opportunist, approved the time off but with a biting condition: he would withhold Ken's entire monthly salary. To have seven days of peace, Ken would have to work the rest of the month for free. Ken agreed without hesitation. Money meant nothing if he couldn't look his mother in the eye.
He texted Amy, asking if he could stay with her. He knew Hades and Mikael both knew where he lived; he needed to be a ghost. After a long explanation of the chaos, Amy agreed.
Amy lived in a comfortable apartment with her sister, who was away most weekdays. Though Amy's family wasn't wealthy like the Newmans, they were stable. She didn't need to work, but she kept the job at the restaurant to stay busy.
Ken arrived at sunset, a small bag slung over his shoulder. When he knocked, Amy opened the door with a sympathetic smile. "You're here... come in."
"Thanks for letting me stay," Ken said, his shoulders finally dropping an inch.
"It's no problem. I just made dinner. Macaroni and cheese—your favorite."
Ken settled into the guest room and joined her downstairs. They ate in a comfortable silence, eventually falling asleep on the sofa while a movie played in the background. It was the first time in weeks Ken hadn't felt like a prize being hunted.
The week moved quickly for Ken and agonizingly slowly for Mikael. Ken spent his days at the hospital, holding his mother's hand and trying to memorize the sound of her breathing.
Mikael, meanwhile, was barely functioning. He arrived at school late, left early, and spent his nights sitting in the shower, letting the water wash over him as he hallucinated Ken's blue eyes and pure white hair in the steam. The "Goodnight" hour was the hardest. Without the routine of their messages, the silence of his room felt like a tomb.
On the fifth night, Mikael finally broke his vow of silence. His thumbs shook as he typed a long, desperate message:
"I know I'm breaking the rules. I know I'm supposed to be giving you 'space,' but I can't breathe in it. It's been five days, and I've barely slept. I just sit here staring at the 'last seen' under your name until my eyes burn, hoping the status flips to 'online' just so I know you still exist in the same world as me.
I'm losing it, Ken. I don't care about anything else. Without you, the walls of this apartment feel like they're closing in. I'll do anything. Do you want me to stop talking? I'll go mute. Just don't tell me to let go. I don't know how to be a person without you. I'm shaking just typing this because I'm so scared you're going to block me, but the thought of you forgetting the sound of my voice is worse.
Please, Ken. Just send a period. A single dot. Just show me you're there. I'm drowning."
Ken watched the message appear on his screen. His heart hammered against his ribs, and a fresh wave of tears blurred his vision. He loved Mikael—he did—but the intensity was overwhelming. He wiped his eyes, shut off the phone, and tucked it under his pillow. He couldn't give the "dot." Not yet.
At the restaurant, Amy and Laura were closing up. "How's Ken doing?" Laura asked as she arranged the clean cups.
"He's holding up," Amy said, scrubbing a plate. "He seems fine, I guess."
Laura stopped, a look of heavy guilt crossing her face. "It's my fault," she whispered. "I'm the one who convinced him to go after wealthy guys. I didn't think it would end like this."
"It's not your fault, Laura," Amy said, turning to her. "You made a suggestion, but Ken was the one who agreed to Mikael barely a day after they met. You shouldn't blame yourself."
"No, it's all of us," Laura insisted. "Ken wanted a way out, and I was pushing my 'fantasy life' on him. You didn't tell him to slow down. Even after that dress... we should have known it was too much, too fast. We were greedy, too. We got lost in it."
"Yeah," Amy sighed. "You're right. But now isn't the time for blame. Let's just make sure we don't give him any more bad advice. We need to help him through this, but ultimately, the decision is his."
"Alright," Laura nodded. "I'll go with you to see him today."
"Sure. We can have a sleepover. It'll be like old times."
In the Black Tower, the air was cold and clinical. Lance entered Hades' office and handed him two thick folders.
"The first is Emily Jacob's final details. Her relocation is complete; she is set to arrive in the city on Monday. She requested a day to settle in, so she will resume classes on Tuesday."
"Tuesday... that's fine," Hades muttered, opening the file to look at Emily's photograph.
"The second file covers Luther Corp's monthly income," Lance continued. "Worldwide income has hit ten billion dollars this month. We've accumulated over six billion in shares across various factions. That's a twenty-eight percent increase over last month."
Hades closed the files. "Lance?"
"Yes, Lord Hades?"
"What is the company's total asset value? Both for Luther Corp and our associated holdings."
"Luther Corp has accumulated two hundred and thirteen billion dollars over the last fifty years," Lance replied without hesitation. "However, if we include every faction and subsidiary owned or related to us, the total net worth is one trillion, two hundred and twenty-one billion dollars."
"I see. That will be all."
Lance bowed and left the room. Hades stared at the city through the glass, his mind far away from trillions of dollars. He was thinking of Tuesday.
Monday arrived. For the first time in a week, Mikael woke up early. He showered, dressed in his finest clothes, and meticulously styled his hair. If he was going to win Ken back today, he needed to look like the man Ken had fallen for, not a broken ghost.
He went to his window to close it when he noticed activity across the street. Movers were carrying furniture into the vacant apartment in the neighboring building. New neighbors, he thought briefly, wondering who would move into such a high-end district. But he turned away and shut the window before the person emerged from the car. He didn't have time for strangers.
Outside, Emily Jacob stepped out of the car. She looked up at the sleek, expensive buildings and the manicured lawns. "Damn," she whispered. "The company truly has standards." She grabbed her bag and walked into her new home, unaware that her old life was only a few yards away.
Mikael climbed into his SUV, his heart racing. Today was the day. As he pulled out of the driveway and headed toward the university, he whispered a single prayer:
"Please... let it work."