“Work emergency,” he said. Madison nodded as if she believed him, but her eyes had dimmed. Now those cracks cracks he ignored spread wide and undeniable in his memory. Every moment she tried to connect, every time he pushed her away, every soft plea, every quiet surrender, he ran a hand through his hair, frustration burning under his skin.
“She wouldn’t just leave,” he muttered to himself. “Someone got to her. Someone’s manipulating her.” He couldn’t accept the truth that he was the reason. He stood up abruptly, pacing the room. His mind raced through names, co-workers, acquaintances, neighbors. Who would Madison trust enough to run to? She was private, cautious, she didn’t open up easily, and she had no family in New York unless Logan froze as a name crept into his thoughts.
Unwelcome, and sharp Ethan Marshall. Ethan, the CEO with too much influence, too much charm. Ethan, who once complimented Madison’s design work at a corporate function in a way Logan never appreciated. Ethan, who lingered a beat too long when Madison spoke. Ethan, who had everything Logan feared losing, power, respect, and a moral compass. People admired.
“No,” Logan whispered. But the doubt dug in deeper. “Had Madison reached out to Ethan? Had he helped her disappear?” The possibility noded at him, lighting a cold fury in his chest. If Ethan had inserted himself into Logan’s marriage, into Logan’s life, it wouldn’t just be betrayal, it would be war.
And Logan had no idea he was already losing. By the time the sun fully climbed over Manhattan, Logan was no longer angry. He was obsessed. He tore through the apartment like a man hunting ghosts. Every drawer, every closet, every forgotten corner. But the more he searched for clues, the more he realized how much he’d missed while Madison was still here.
