14. Nora
— ? —
Nora
Next Morning
“It’s confirmed.” His voice is warm, professional, hiding something that might be disappointment. “The board approved it yesterday. Executive Director of the Harrison Foundation’s international programs. Based in London.”
I sit down on the edge of Sophia’s guest bed. The sheets are still warm from sleep I didn’t get.
“London.”
“Three-year contract. Full relocation package. They want you to start in two weeks.”
Two weeks. Fourteen days. An ocean between me and everything I know.
“Nora? You still there?”
“I’m here.” I press my hand to my chest. My heart is beating too fast. “I need to think about it.”
“Of course. Take your time.” A pause. “This is everything you said you wanted. A fresh start. A chance to be seen for who you are, not who you’re married to.”
He’s right. He’s absolutely right.
So why does my chest feel like it’s caving in?
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I say. “With an answer.”
“Take the time you need.”
I hang up. Stare at the wall.
London. Executive Director. Everything I rebuilt, made permanent. A life that’s entirely mine.
All I have to do is leave.
***
I go to Dante’s office.
I don’t know why. Maybe I need to tell him in person. Maybe I need to see his face when I say I’m going. Maybe I just need to be in the same room with him one more time before I decide.
But when I get there, the floor is dark. His assistant’s desk is empty. The lights are off.
“Can I help you?”
A security guard approaches, clipboard in hand.
“I’m looking for Dante Moretti.”
“Mr. Moretti is on leave, ma’am. Has been for three weeks.”
“Leave?”
“Personal leave. Six months minimum, according to the memo.” He checks his clipboard. “The COO is handling all operations. If you need to reach Mr. Moretti, you’ll have to contact his personal line.”
I stand there, frozen.
Six months. Personal leave. At the peak of the company - at the height of everything he built-
My phone buzzes. A news alert.
MORETTI HOLDINGS CEO STEPS DOWN
Dante Moretti has formalized an indefinite leave of absence from his position as CEO, weeks after abruptly stepping back from daily operations.
The move comes at a critical time for the company, with the Hartwell integration still in progress and stock prices already volatile following recent scandals.
“This is a personal decision,” a company spokesperson said. “Mr. Moretti remains committed to the company’s long-term success but has chosen to step back from daily operations to focus on family matters.”
Industry analysts are calling the move “unprecedented” and “potentially catastrophic.” Moretti Holdings stock dropped 3% in after-hours trading following the announcement.
I read it twice. Three times.
He did it.
He actually did it.
The thing I named at the lake house -choose me when the roads are clear- he did it. Walked away from everything. The empire, the deals, the career he spent a decade building.
And he didn’t tell me.
***
The parking garage is empty when I leave.
Or almost empty.
“Nora.”
I stop walking.
Vanessa steps out from behind a concrete pillar. She looks - different. Diminished. The polish is gone, replaced by something ragged around the edges. Her dress is wrinkled. Her makeup is smudged.
“What do you want?”
“I want you to know something.” She moves closer. “I want you to understand what you’re throwing away.”
“I’m not throwing away anything.”
“He loved me.” Her voice cracks. “Or he would have, if you’d just let him go. If you hadn’t been so desperate to hold onto something that was already dead-”
“Vanessa.” I keep my voice flat. “He didn’t love you. He barely remembered your name.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is.” I step toward her. “You’ve been in love with a man who forgot you existed the moment you walked out of his office. A man who fired you without a second thought. A man who just destroyed his reputation to defend me.”
Her face twists. “He’ll come back to work. They always do. And when he does-”
“He won’t.” I’m certain of it now. “He chose me over everything. You never had a chance.”
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not.” I adjust my bag on my shoulder. “You’re done here, Vanessa. You’re done in this city, in this industry, in his life. Go find somewhere else to be bitter.”
She opens her mouth. Closes it.
I walk past her.
“He’ll get bored,” she calls after me. “He’ll remember why he chose the work over you.”
I don’t turn around.
“Goodbye, Vanessa.”
***
The London flight is $2,400 one-way.
I’m sitting at my laptop in Sophia’s apartment, cursor hovering over the purchase button. My chest feels like it’s being compressed. Every breath is a struggle.
Dante stepped down.
He chose me over the empire.
And I’m about to choose London.
This is what I wanted, I tell myself. Independence. A life that’s mine. A chance to be seen for who I am.
But the words ring hollow now.
Because the man I’m running from just did the thing I never thought he’d do. Gave up everything. Put me first.
And I didn’t even give him the chance to tell me.
My phone buzzes. Sophia.
You okay? You’ve been in your room for hours.
I type back: Making a decision.
About London?
About everything.
A pause. Then:
Whatever you choose, I love you. But maybe talk to him first? Before you decide?
I stare at the screen.
Then I close the message. Turn back to the laptop.
The flight is $2,400. Departure: tomorrow, 8 AM.
I can’t breathe. My hand is shaking. Every instinct is screaming at me to stop, to think, to call him-
I press confirm.