The office was in chaos. It started with one email from the Legal department, followed by three more, and then a crisis meeting was convened by dawn. Adrian's company, the empire he had built from a cracked laptop and years of hard work, was suddenly under federal investigation. News outlets reported it extensively:
"Ward investigated for insider dealings."
"LinTech's Billionaire CEO under scrutiny"
"Anonymous Source Triggers Corporate Investigation."
He read the headlines multiple times but still did not feel the full weight of them. It felt as though his body had refused to accept what his mind understood: someone had been waiting for the right opportunity to pull him down. And that moment had arrived, when his life was already in pieces.
"Adrian, we need to release a statement," said Claire, his COO, resilient despite the exhaustion in her eyes.
"The board wants to meet. If we don't act quickly…."
"I'm not guilty," he responded softly.
She paused. "I understand. But perception…."
Perception is what matters most," he interjected. "Yes, I remember."
He moved to the window. Below, the city buzzed with indifference. His reflection stared back at him, the same figure from Maya's painting, eyes shut to the outside world. He thought of calling her again. He thought about that fragile calm in her voice. But what would he say?
"I'm being investigated for a crime I did not commit… and I can't stop thinking about you?"
Instead, he whispered to the glass, "Maybe you were right to leave."
Maya stood in her studio, with the morning light reflecting off her palette knives. The buzz from the gallery had just faded; she was supposed to be working on a sketch for a commission, but her hand would not remain steady. The phone call from the previous night had shaken something loose in her. Adrian's voice had sounded altered. It seemed hollow, exhausted, and even frightened. She told herself that she was no longer responsible for his well-being.
As she scrolled through her news feed, she was taken aback. His name was everywhere.
"LinTech's Billionaire CEO under scrutiny"
She stared at the headline until her vision blurred. Part of her wanted to close the app and let karma do its work. However, another part, the one that remembered how he had once cared for her when she was ill and supported her first exhibition by staying up all night to help her hang her first exhibit, urged her to reconsider. Yet, she remained still. She found herself unable to act. Her emotions were caught between anger and a lingering compassion that she could not control.
Adrian did not go home that night. He sat in his car outside the company headquarters long after the office had cleared out. The city was washed in silver rain, the kind that made everything shimmer and blur. He thought about driving until he could not drive anymore…maybe north, maybe toward the coast. Somewhere small and quiet. Somewhere close to her.
However, it was not just about wanting her back. It was also about remembering the person he used to be while with her, a part of himself that had not been swallowed by figures and deals.
He took out his phone and looked through his contacts until he found a name he hadn't called in years: Liam Grant. His oldest friend, who had known him before he became Adrian Cole, the billionaire.
He pressed call.
"My goodness, Adrian," Liam answered on the second ring. "You're everywhere on TV. Are you okay?"
"Define okay."
There was a pause. "You did not do what they're saying, right?"
"No."
"Then come stay with me. Get out of the city for a while. You can't fight this if you're falling apart."
Adrian leaned back in the driver's seat, rain tapping on the windshield. "I can't."
"Why not?" He hesitated.
The truth felt heavy, but he spoke anyway. "Because there's someone I need to find first."
"Someone?" Liam's voice softened. "You mean...her, don't you?"
Adrian closed his eyes. "Yeah."
Liam was silent for a long moment. The only sound was the rain, heavier now, drumming against the hood.
"You'll find her, man. And when you do, don't wait this time."
Adrian nodded, "I won't."
They talked for a while about old times, about the things they used to dream of doing. Somewhere between the laughter and the static, Adrian almost felt like himself again. After they hung up, Adrian drove for hours through the storm. He pulled over by a gas station on the edge of nowhere, stepped out, and let the cold air bite at his skin. In the reflection of his car window, he didn't see the man from the news, not the billionaire, not the scandal. Just Adrian Cole, a man standing between what he had lost and what he might still find.
Later that night, Maya's phone rang again. It was the same unknown number. She stared at it for a moment, unsure whether to answer or throw it away. Eventually, she swiped to accept.
"Hello?"
"Maya. It's Liam."
She frowned. "Liam Grant?"
"Yeah. I am Adrian's friend." His tone was low, almost pleading. "Look, he didn't tell me to call. But he's not okay. The investigation is more serious than what the media is reporting. He's breaking down."
Her hand tightened around the phone. "I don't understand why you're telling me this."
"Because you're the only one who might persuade him to stop before he burns everything down."
She remained silent. The rain outside her window intensified, with thunder rumbling across the city.
"Maya?" But she had already ended the call.
Adrian stood by the window of his penthouse one last time. The skyline appeared static…beautiful, unreachable, and empty. He poured out the last of his drink, took his keys, and exhaled. He was uncertain about what awaited him…scandal, redemption, or possibly nothing. However, he knew where he had to go.
He had spent his life chasing power, but now, for the first time, he was chasing something more real.
As he entered the elevator, his phone vibrated with a message from an unknown number. He looked down.
"She's gone."
No name. No context. Just those two words and the doors closed.