Reclaiming Her Heart

The office remained silent. No one answered.

Half the curtain was obscured by a cabinet, hiding the window seat.

Victor pulled out his phone and dialed Alex. No ringtone sounded in the quiet office.

He hung up and closed the door again.

After the door shut a second time, Alex lifted the edge of the curtain. The heavy drapes were designed to keep Victor's rest area pitch black regardless of how bright it was outside.

As he peered out, his eyes met those of the man still standing in the office. Victor hadn't left after closing the door-he'd remained inside.

Alex, who had assumed Victor had departed when he heard the door close, managed a smile and rubbed his eyes.

"When did you come back?" he asked with a fake yawn, climbing down from the window seat, pretending he'd just woken up.

Victor studied him for several seconds. "You slept here all night?"

"Yeah. Paul's death hit me hard. Accidentally fell asleep on the window seat-my back's killing me now." He forced another yawn, squeezing out tears at the corners of his eyes.noveldrama

"Victor, are you heading out now?" He checked his phone screen and raised his eyebrows. "You called me?"

"Alex, how long have we known each other?"

"Twenty-some years."

The office atmosphere grew tense as Victor leaned against the door.

"And after all these years, you still fidget with things when you lie."

The silence became deafening.

Alex instinctively looked at his hands, realizing in horror that after mentioning twenty years, he'd put his phone in his pocket-his hands were empty! Cold sweat broke out across his back as his body froze.

Victor let out a soft laugh. "Just kidding."

The atmosphere grew even more bizarre, as if all the oxygen had been sucked from the

room.

Victor opened the door, his voice still light. "What's going through your head? I was calling my family to investigate whether someone from the Adams clan might be involved. Remember how Paul's cousin Kai nearly got into a fight with him at that family dinner? Threatened to make him pay? I'm wondering if someone in the Adams family might be stirring up trouble, trying to pin this on Raymond."

He paused to chuckle. "Aren't you a screenwriter? Your acting could use some work." Alex immediately relaxed, punching Victor's shoulder as his voice trembled. "Fuck, you nearly gave me a heart attack! I woke up hearing you arrange surveillance on the Adams family, and my brain filled in the rest-a longtime friend turns out to be the villain. How was I supposed to stay calm? Fuck! I never knew you had this in you."

Victor's mouth twitched into a smile. "Feeling better now?"

Alex suddenly realized what Victor had done-concerned he was too tense over Paul's death, he'd created this diversion. A rubber band stretched too long would eventually snap.

Victor patted his shoulder. "I'll look into Kai. The Adams family has always been chaotic, and others are suspicious too."

It made sense the Adams family was already complicated, and Paul's friendship with Raymond was no secret. Someone striking now could easily connect Paul's death with Raymond's departure, allowing the real mastermind to remain perfectly hidden. Victor removed his coat and went to the washroom to disinfect his hands.

"You look terrible," he called to Alex. "Go home and rest. If you can't sleep, take some melatonin-right side of my desk. Helps with sleeping."

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Alex found several bottles labeled "melatonin" where Victor had indicated.

"You haven't been sleeping well?" he asked.

Victor emerged from the washroom, drying his fingers with a clean cloth.

"Surgery schedule's been brutal-haven't had proper rest in two weeks. Ten days ago, I couldn't save a little girl from a car accident. I keep seeing her in my dreams."

Alex's eyes filled with sympathy as he grabbed a bottle. "Thanks."

"Alex."

"Yeah?"

"Sorry about earlier."

Alex smiled ruefully, patting Victor's back. "That little mind game actually helped clear

my head. I'll go rest now."

"Take care."