Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Silence That Shouldn't Feel Strange

Sixty days.

Sixty days since Chloe stepped into Levant Creatives, taking on the role of manager, proving herself.

She was treated like any other employee.

No special treatment.

No whispers of the Redgrave name trailing behind her.

For some, she was a threat—sharp, capable, undeniably commanding.

For others, she was a force—earning respect, proving her place, solidifying her authority as manager.

And everything was smooth.

Carter had started school last month, adjusting well, settling into the new routine with ease.

Her life had found a rhythm.

A pace that felt steady.

And Kian?

Kian was absent.

He hadn't disrupted her days.

Hadn't forced himself into her space the way he always did.

It should have been relieving.

Should have made things easier.

Should have been exactly what she wanted—peace, distance, separation from the past.

Yet—somewhere in the back of her mind, a flicker of disappointment surfaced.

Not because she wanted him back.

Not because she needed him hovering near her again.

But because—this wasn't like him.

Kian didn't do distance.

Didn't do avoidance.

Didn't stay quiet when she was right there, existing within reach.

She knew him.

Knew that if he wanted to be near her, he would be.

Because he was Kian Ashford.

Because nothing stopped him.

Because if he wanted her presence, he would claim it—without hesitation, without permission, without restraint.

And yet?

Sixty days had passed.

And he hadn't.

Chloe exhaled slowly, brushing the thought aside, choosing not to dwell.

Choosing not to care.

Because peace had settled.

Because her life was moving forward.

Because this was what she wanted.

Even if—just for a moment—she wasn't entirely sure it was.