Zeke wanted to ask. About Claire. About Xavier. The questions sat on the tip of his tongue, pressing harder with each passing second.
But he held them back.
He was afraid that if he said the wrong thing, if he pushed too soon, it would shatter whatever fragile calm they had managed to create. And he didn’t want to lose that. Not yet.
So he just nodded.
"Good," he said quietly. "That’s good."
Zeke glanced down, then looked back at her, his voice softer this ti. "Grandma misses you. She got your gift. Said she loved it."
Cassidy’s expression shifted, guilt flickering in her eyes. At the ntion of Elise, sothing in her chest pinched. She hadn’t spoken to the older woman in years, and she hadn’t shown up for her last birthday either.
She swallowed. "Is she okay?" Her voice ca out quieter than she intended.
Zeke nodded. "Yeah. She’s doing alright. Her health’s been slipping a bit, though. Maybe because she misses Grandpa."
He paused, then asked gently, "How about your parents? Are Julian and Teresa okay?"
She tensed, just for a split second. Sothing like sadness flashed in her eyes before it vanished.
She swallowed hard. "My dad? Still alive and kicking, like nothing ever happened." A pause. Then, more quietly, "My mom’s... she’s in the hospital."
Zeke didn’t say anything right away, sensing the weight behind her words.
Cassidy took a slow breath, her voice barely above a whisper. "She tried to take her own life a few weeks ago."
Zeke’s eyes widened briefly, shock and regret washing over his face. Then his voice softened. "I’m sorry. I didn’t know... I didn’t an to bring up sothing painful."
Cassidy gave a small, tired smile. "It’s okay. She’s starting to get better now. It’s been hard, but she’s fighting."
Zeke watched her, a bit of relief passing through his expression. "I’m really glad she’s getting better," he said, his tone steady and sincere.
Cassidy hesitated, then asked softly, "I wanted to ask you sothing." Her voice was calm, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. "Georgia told ... that during the first two years after I left, you were looking for . Why, Zeke? Why were you trying to find ?"
Zeke froze.
The question hit harder than he expected. Simple on the surface, but it felt like a punch to the chest. He hadn’t prepared for it.
His fingers twitched at his side, barely noticeable, but his whole body went still. His mind scrambled for sothing rational. Sothing that wouldn’t sound like the truth. Because the truth? The truth was ssy. Too emotional. Too late.
How could he tell her that he missed her? That after she left, the silence in his penthouse felt deafening? That every morning without the sound of her footsteps felt off? That the space she used to fill stayed empty, no matter how many distractions he chased?
She’d think he was crazy.
Hell, he thought he was crazy.
Especially since he’d barely paid attention to her when she was his wife. He’d been cold. Distant. Focused on work, on control, on keeping his emotions locked tight behind steel doors.
But her absence... it cracked sothing open. And once it cracked, it never fully closed again.
"I just..." Zeke cleared his throat, forcing himself to sound casual. Detached. "I just wanted to know where you were. After the divorce, I figured maybe I should’ve... handled so things better."
It was half true. And still not enough.
He felt like a coward.
"I thought the alimony I gave you wasn’t enough. I wanted to make sure you were okay. That you had what you needed."
Cassidy gave him a look. Not angry, but skeptical. Confused.
"Really? Then why didn’t you tell Georgia that when you called her?"
Zeke’s jaw clenched. His lip twitched, a faint tell he couldn’t hide. His heart thudded louder than it should have.
Because I wasn’t looking for you to fix so bank transfer, Cassidy.
Because I woke up every day hoping I’d just run into you sowhere, anywhere. Because I hated how things ended. Because I finally realized what I lost.
But he couldn’t say any of that.
So instead, he looked away and said quietly, "Because... that wasn’t Georgia’s business. It was between you and ."
His voice was low. Steady. But inside, he was falling apart in ways he couldn’t explain.
Cassidy watched him for a long mont, her expression unreadable.
Zeke didn’t look back. He couldn’t.
"You know... hearing that you did look for ? That you called Georgia? That you spent two years wondering where I was..." She shook her head lightly. "It just... confuses ."
Zeke finally t her eyes and said softly, "I’m sorry. I didn’t an to confuse you. I just... didn’t know what else to do back then."
Cassidy gave a small nod. Her expression remained calm. Then she exhaled slowly. "It’s okay. At least now I know why you were looking for ."
There was no edge in her tone. Just quiet acceptance.
A flicker of relief passed through her. Subtle, but real.
So Georgia had been wrong after all. Zeke hadn’t been looking for her because he was in love. He just wanted to make sure his ex-wife was taken care of. That she was living well. That her alimony was enough.
Of course. That made sense.
It was exactly what Ezekiel Salvador would do. Responsible, dutiful and calculated.
And it was better this way. Easier to process.
Zeke shifted slightly, his voice lower now. "So... where did you go? All these years?"
Cassidy turned her gaze toward the tall windows. The midday sun was high and strong, flooding the room with sharp light. Outside, the sky was clear, almost too bright. But sohow, the warmth of it cald her. The tightness in her chest that had followed her all morning slowly began to ease.
"Switzerland. Zurich," she said finally, her voice calm. "I stayed there the whole ti."
Zeke didn’t interrupt. He watched her closely, letting her speak on her own terms.
"I loved it," she continued. "It’s quiet. Peaceful. The kind of place that lets you breathe. Cold, yes, but in a good way. Clean air, beautiful mountains. Everything just... slows down there."
Her lips curved into a faint, almost wistful smile.
"It was exactly what I needed."
Unlike Cassidy, who offered a faint smile, Zeke felt sothing tighten in his chest.
He already knew, of course. But hearing it from her, hearing her say it out loud still stung. Because now it was real.
She had lived in the sa place as Xavier.
Zurich. Four years.
They hadn’t just crossed paths. They had shared space. Ti. Routine. They had built a life in the sa city, while he had been left behind.
Zeke stayed quiet, but sothing in his eyes darkened.
He wanted to ask. God, he wanted to ask. What was Xavier to her? A friend? Sothing more?
But he couldn’t bring himself to say it. Not without sounding jealous. Not without breaking the fragile peace between them.
So he said nothing.
Cassidy shifted slightly, then spoke. Quiet, but clear. "Can I ask for your number?" she said, her gaze eting his. "There’s sothing I want to talk to you about. But not here. And not now."
Zeke blinked, surprised by the request. Cassidy wanted to talk to him again? The thought stirred sothing in him. Sothing cautious but undeniably warm.
He didn’t hesitate. He pulled out his phone and handed it to her, screen unlocked, his voice low but steady. "Here. Go ahead."
***
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