Chapter 68

SEBASTIAN

The drive back to my place was quiet and tense, in that way where every unsaid word seems to hang in the air, waiting to explode. Dahlia sat in the passenger seat, her gaze fixed on the window, her phone gripped loosely in her hand. The city lights painted faint reflections across her face, soft and restless.

I wanted to reach out. To say something. Anything that would make up for the long silence, the missed calls, and the look of hurt she’d tried so hard to hide back in her dorm.

But my phone wouldn’t stop buzzing.

Another call. Another message. Another problem from the other side of my world.

“Yeah, run the numbers again,” I said into the headset, trying to keep my voice even as I navigated a turn. “No, not the company’s accounts, the projections for the app. Yes, I said the app. Just handle it. I already gave instructions to James to help you out. I’ll call you back.”

When I hung up, Dahlia finally looked at me. “You’ve been on the