After rejecting Bennett, Victor left the top floor and returned to his office.

The office was quiet, almost too quiet—something seemed missing.

He reflexively glanced at Evelyn’s desk.

The flowers he had given her yesterday were still sitting there.

He had tossed them aside, but Evelyn had picked them up, saying they were too beautiful to be thrown away.

When she expressed her liking, he had casually said, "I’ll give them to you."

She had been ...