Chapter 24
Quinn
Quinn’s flight had taken off before sunrise. By the time the plane touched down in Los Angeles, it was still Friday morning in a way that felt unfair—like the day had reset without her consent.
The car from LAX merged onto the freeway, and instead of heading home, she told the driver to take her straight to Halo.
She had a busy week ahead of her and no interest in easing into it.
Meetings with potential partners. Add-on investors circling Halo’s next expansion round.
Two back-to-back strategy sessions she couldn’t reschedule without sending the wrong message.
And Braeden’s fortieth birthday party tomorrow night.
The last thing she was going to do was miss her best friend’s birthday, even if part of her had wanted to stay in New York.
It would have been easy to send a carefully worded apology and a collection of obscenely expensive gifts to compensate for her absence.
She could have done it. She had wanted to do it.
If it were anyone else, she would have. But not with Braeden.
She adjusted the cuff of her blazer as the car pulled up to Halo’s glass tower in downtown L.A., the building sharp and reflective against the pale morning sun. Her reflection stared back at her in the tinted window—composed, immaculate, untouchable.
Except she wasn’t. Not lately. Her phone buzzed in her hand just as she stepped out of the car.
Avery: Land yet?
The corner of her mouth lifted before she could stop it.
Quinn: Just pulled up to the office.
Avery: Already working. You’re insane.
Quinn: You say that like it’s new information.
Three dots appeared immediately.
Avery: I miss you already.
That one hit deeper than it should have. Quinn exhaled slowly, slipping her phone into her pocket before she walked into the building because she didn’t trust herself to respond casually. She missed her too. She would not have admitted that a week ago, but now she didn’t hesitate.
Quinn: I miss you too.
She arrived at Halo at 10:21A.M. Inside, the lobby hummed with movement. Assistants, analysts, junior execs moved quickly but carefully whenever she passed, posture shifting, tone recalibrating. She nodded once at reception.
“Morning, Ms. Hale,” She called to the receptionist.
“Morning,” Ms. Hale smiled back. “Welcome back.”
By the time she reached her office, her expression had settled back into something neutral and controlled. Alyssa was already waiting outside the door with a tablet tucked against her chest.
“You’ve got the Novaris call at 11:30, investor review at noon,” Alyssa said, scrolling,
“Perfect, thank you.” She said.
“You’re welcome, Quinn,” Alyssa said “Can I get you something to eat, coffee?”
“A coffee and… a fruit cup maybe?” Quinn said. “Thank you.”
Quinn set her bag down and lowered herself into her chair. Before she opened her laptop, she picked up her phone and typed.
Quinn: Back in L.A. Landed safe. Can’t wait for your party tomorrow! FORTY, how are were here? Glad your doing it first, so I can prepare.
She hadn’t even set her phone down before the dots appeared.
Braeden: Shut it, ma’am. Glad your back in town! Good visit?
Quinn rolled her eyes, though the faint smile tugging at her mouth gave her away.
Quinn: Best yet. I’ll fill you in later, now I got to get to work.
Her office was quiet, the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city below. Clean lines. Polished wood. Minimalist in a way that felt intentional rather than cold. There was nothing personal on the desk except a single framed photo tucked discreetly near her monitor.
Braeden at sixteen, her arm slung around Quinn’s shoulders. Both of them sunburned and grinning like idiots, braces flashing, hair windblown from some reckless summer afternoon neither of them had been properly supervised for.
Middle school had been brutal. Braeden hadn’t been.
Her phone buzzed again, breaking the stillness.
Avery: Don’t forget to eat today.
Quinn smiled despite herself.
Quinn: I have staff for that.
Avery: That is not how eating works.
Quinn: I know, Alyssa is getting me fruit now.
Avery: Good girl.
That one lingered. Quinn stared at the message a second longer than necessary before setting her phone down slowly on the desk. She leaned back in her chair and looked out at the skyline, the city already in motion beneath her. This week was going to be relentless.
But somewhere between investor calls and Braeden turning forty, she was going to have to figure out how to hold two versions of her life at once.
The woman who built empires and the woman who let someone curl against her chest and call it more than casual.
She wasn’t sure yet which one unsettled her more.
* * *
Once the day started it didn’t let up. The Novaris call ran long.
The investor review turned tense halfway through when someone questioned the expansion timeline.
Quinn held her ground, walked them through projections twice, and didn’t check her phone until she was back in the hallway between meetings.
Avery: How bad is it?
Quinn typed back while walking.
Quinn: Manageable. Translation: annoying.
Avery: Eat something.
Quinn: I will.
She didn’t.
Lunch sat on the corner of her desk untouched until nearly four, when she finally took three distracted bites between emails. By six, her jacket was off, sleeves pushed up, and her hair no longer perfectly in place. Alyssa knocked lightly on the doorframe.
“You have dinner downstairs if you want it sent up,” Alyssa said carefully.
“Send it up,” Quinn replied without looking up from her screen.
By the time the container arrived, it was already past seven.
She propped her phone against her monitor and tapped FaceTime.
Avery answered almost immediately.
She was already in bed in New York, curled on her side with Henrietta tucked against her stomach. The cat blinked lazily at the camera.
“You’re still at the office,” Avery said, her voice soft but not surprised.
“You’re already horizontal,” Quinn replied as she peeled back the lid of her food.
“It’s ten-thirty here,” Avery said, adjusting her pillow. “We were up at five. You have to be exhausted.”
“I’m fine,” Quinn said, taking a bite.
Avery watched her chew. “You look tired.”
“I look efficient,” Quinn corrected dryly.
Avery rolled her eyes. “Did you eat anything before that?”
“I’m eating now,” Quinn said, gesturing to the container.
“That’s not what I asked,” Avery said, shifting so Henrietta didn’t slide off the bed.
Quinn gave her a look. “You’re bossy.”
“You like it,” Avery said, her mouth curving.
Quinn huffed a quiet laugh and took another bite.
They talked while she ate. Avery told her about a long day at Lilith, about Gabby nearly losing her mind over a branding revision, about Henrietta knocking over a water glass during a meeting.
“You would’ve fired her,” Avery said, scratching behind the cat’s ears.
“I would’ve put her on probation,” Quinn replied.
“You’re terrible,” Avery said, smiling.
“You’re soft,” Quinn shot back.
By the time Quinn finished eating, Avery’s voice had dropped lower with sleep.
“You’re going to pass out mid-sentence,” Quinn said, closing the empty container.
“I’m listening,” Avery mumbled.
“You’re fading.” Quinn wished she was there to wrap her arms around her and hold her while she fell asleep.
Avery shifted under the blanket. “Text me when you get home.”
“I will,” Quinn promised. “But you’ll be long asleep.”
“Don’t stay there all night,” Avery added, her eyes already half closed.
“I won’t,” Quinn said.
They said goodnight, and the call ended.
An hour later, Quinn was still at her desk. The last round of emails took longer than it should have. One investor wanted clarification. Another wanted numbers adjusted. By the time she shut her laptop and stepped into the elevator, it was nearly ten.
The house was dark when she walked in. Quiet in a way her place in New York never was.
She dropped her bag near the entry table, slipped off her shoes, and rolled her shoulders once before heading upstairs.
The shower was quick and hot, steam filling the bathroom while she let the day rinse off her skin.
When she finally slid into bed, her muscles ached in a way she wouldn’t admit out loud.
She reached for her phone and texted Avery.
Quinn: I’m finally home. I know you’re asleep since we said goodnight earlier. I’ll text tomorrow. Night x.
She set her phone down on the nightstand and turned onto her side, the room dim and still. The house felt too big without noise in it. Her eyes closed anyway and sleep came fast.
* * *