Chapter 6
By the fourth month, my luck had finally started to turn around.
Work was going smoothly.
The project that a heir doubled down on finally launched, and in the first quarter alone, it pulled in a 23% return.
My boss threw a big celebration party and gave me a shout-out in front of the whole company.
My year-end bonus was projected to be one million dollars.
With my base salary, my total earnings for the first year were expected to hit five million dollars.
Sometimes, it all felt unreal.
Just a year ago, I was at that securities firm back home, groveling to my boss for a measly 30 thousand dollar bonus.
My reports always came back covered in red ink, slapped with comments like "too aggressive," "unrealistic," and "play it safe."
I'd worn down all my edges, turning myself into just another cog in the machine.
And when I got home, I'd force a smile and say, "Hey honey, you must be tired."
Looking back, those days feel like memories from a life that wasn't even mine.
My partnership with Sophia was making progress fast.
She was the real deal, always got things done.
Every time we met, she was fully prepared, and she knew the numbers like the back of her hand.
We started with that renewable energy project, and before long, our partnership expanded into other fields.
Before we knew it, we were seeing each other all the time.
It began with working lunches, then the occasional coffee, and soon we were catching up at weekend industry events.
She never asked about my past.
I never asked about hers, either.
There was always just the right amount of space between us, never too close, never too far.
Tom was practically bouncing off the walls.
"So, what's really going on between you two?" he asked.
"We're just business partners," I replied.
"Business partners? You two were having dinner together until eleven at night?" Tom teased.
"We had a lot to talk about," I said.
"You were talking shop until eleven? Are you two robots or something?" Tom joked.
I didn't say anything.
Honestly, I couldn't even explain it myself.
Sophia was something else.
She didn't give me butterflies or make my heart race.
But she made me feel at peace.
With her, I didn't have to put on a front or keep my guard up.
It was like the ocean after a storm, calm, still, and serene.
A peaceful sense of safety, where one didn't have to want for anything.
Maybe that was enough.
Maybe I didn't need to feel that spark anymore.
Catching feelings was just too costly.
The last time I caught feelings, it cost me five years of my youth and two bottles of poison.
Shame.
Life never let you stay calm for long.
Last day of month four.
Friday.
6 PM. I was just leaving the office, heading home.
My phone rang.
It was the concierge from my apartment building.
"Mr. Carter, there's a woman waiting for you in the lobby. She says she's your family," the concierge said.
I froze.
"What woman?" I asked.