Drifting...

“How are you, dear? It’s been quite a while since we last saw each other.”

Lilian’s motherly voice drifted through the phone, soft and warm, and somehow it calmed the storm inside me.

It had been almost forty-eight hours since my unfortunate experience at Dream Club.

To say I was still frightened would be an understatement.

I had tried my best to push it to the back of my mind, to pretend none of it had ever happened, but the truth was far uglier than that. Every time I closed my eyes, fragments of that night crawled back into my thoughts like shadows refusing to die.

Nothing I had done so far was working.

That was why I had called Lilian.

She was the best person to talk to when my mind felt like this.

Of course, I had no intention of telling her what had happened.

She would panic.

Worse, she would insist I come back home immediately, and right now, I could not deal with that.

“Yes, Lilian, it’s been a few days,” I said, forcing a smile onto my lips even though she couldn’t see it. “I really miss you and Greg, though. It would be nice to finally see you both again. My last visit was so brief.”

“Yes, it was very brief,” she said with a light note of complaint in her voice. “I was shocked when Tom told me you had already left. You didn’t even stay for breakfast.”

I let out a quiet sigh.

“You know how important my work is to me. I just couldn’t afford to be late, and I was already running behind that day. I just…”

“You’re the boss, Ana,” Lilian cut in. “No one is going to punish you for being a few minutes late to your own workplace. Besides, you weren’t even that late.”

I could hear the irritation in her voice.

That was Lilian.

Protective to a fault.

She had always been like that with me, always watching over me as if I might disappear the moment she looked away.

I knew it came from love.

“I know, Lilian,” I said gently, “but I’m not that kind of boss. You know how serious I am about my work ethic. It’s important to lead by example. If I show discipline, then my employees will have no choice but to do the same.”

I let out a small breath and softened my tone.

“But enough about work. I’m really missing your incredible homemade food. I’m practically salivating just thinking about it.”

She chuckled softly.

“Oh my, now you’re making me blush. There’s truly nothing like homemade food, is there? Why don’t you come over today? I’d be more than happy to make your favorite meal.”

I fell silent for a moment.

It was Sunday.

Technically, I was free. But the thought of leaving the house made something in me tighten.

I didn’t feel like going anywhere. “I wish I could,” I said carefully, “but I’ll have to decline for today. I’m feeling a bit lazy, and I’m also a little occupied. Tomorrow is a work day, and Mondays are always stressful, so I really need the rest. I’ll come over tomorrow.”

I hated the hesitation in my voice.

I knew she had been missing me lately, but I truly had no choice.

I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to face either of them.

They would notice immediately that something was wrong.

And the last thing I wanted was for them to know.

Tomorrow was already going to be stressful enough.

Then it hit me. The meeting. The ten-million-dollar deal.

I had completely forgotten about it.

My stomach dropped.

I was supposed to give them an answer tomorrow.

“You still can’t make it today?” Lilian asked, her voice quieter now. “You’re always making excuses these days. Ever since you left our house, you’ve been distant, to say the least. Is something wrong? Are you… drifting away from us?”

The words hit me harder than they should have.

I sat up straighter.

“Oh, Lilian, are you serious right now?”

My voice came out sharper than I intended.

“How could you even say something like that? Do you honestly think I’m intentionally drifting away from you?”

The hurt in my chest flared into irritation.

“I’m just busy, Lilian. It’s nothing serious. I was literally at the cafe barely two days ago, and I text both of you every single day. I even came by last Monday and stayed the entire day. I missed work Tuesday morning just because I wanted extra time with both of you.”

I paused, my chest rising and falling.

“How can you honestly think I’m drifting away? What more am I supposed to do to prove that I care?”

I was genuinely offended.

I loved Lilian and Greg deeply.

I made sure to send at least one text every day.

I visited them at least three times a week.

I sent them pictures.

Updates.

Voice notes.

What else did she want from me?

Even when I spent entire weekends with them, the moment I left, she would complain that I was being distant.

Sometimes it honestly confused me.

How much of myself did I have to give before it was enough?

Her voice softened.

“I didn’t mean it like that, Ana. But you have to understand me too. It’s not easy being apart from you. I just miss you, that’s all. I’m sorry.”

The anger inside me eased almost instantly.

“You don’t need to apologize,” I said quietly. “I understand that it’s not easy for you, and I’m beginning to understand that better now. But you also have to understand that I can’t always be around.”

I swallowed.

“I don’t want you waiting for me and getting disappointed every time. It only ends up making me feel guilty.”

My voice softened further.

“I’m sorry, and I care about you very much. I need you to always remember that.”

I glanced at the time.

“It’s getting late. Go have dinner and get some rest. Goodnight.”

Before she could say anything else, I ended the call.

The apartment fell into silence.

A heavy, almost oppressive silence.

For hours, my mind drifted between thoughts of Lilian and Greg and the contract waiting for me tomorrow.

Ten million dollars.

The number echoed in my head like a temptation. They had agreed that my company could continue taking on clients and new offers, but I personally was not allowed to style anyone else.

The contract was directly tied to me. Just me.

I was already wealthy.

Comfortably so.

But ten million dollars was not something anyone ignored.

And if what Clara said was true—if this man was truly as prominent as everyone seemed to imply—then a good review from him could send my company to heights I had only imagined.

It could change everything.

I leaned back into the couch, staring into the darkness of my apartment.

The shadows in the room seemed deeper tonight. Heavier. So it was settled.

Tomorrow, I would finally meet the man willing to pay me ten million dollars.