Calculated Absence

Liam's POV

A soft knock at my front door pulled me from my brooding thoughts. I glanced at my watch—1:30 PM. The meeting with Holbrook, Joan, and Diane was scheduled for 2:00PM. I had no intention of going, but I hadn't quite worked out how to handle the fallout yet.

The knock came again, harder this time.

Sophie.

She had mentioned stopping by after her event-planning gig. But something felt off. I opened the door to find her standing there, tension radiating from every inch of her body. Her eyes, usually warm, were sharp as glass, and the storm in them was impossible to ignore.

"Sophie," I said, forcing a smile. "Come in."

I moved to embrace her, but she stepped back, her hands curling into fists.

"Don't."

She pushed past me into the house, her heels clicking against the floor in clipped, angry beats.

I shut the door and turned to face her, my mind already working through the possibilities. "What's wrong?"