XAVIER’S POV

The pen left a final scratch across the paper. That was it.

Done. Signed. Over.

The conference room felt emptier the moment Melissa pushed back her chair and walked out without so much as glancing in my direction. The sound of her heels clicking against the floor still echoed in my ears long after she disappeared down the hallway.

I sat there, staring at the stack of documents that had just severed the only thing tethering us together. It wasn’t just a fake contract ...