The calls didn't feel the same anymore.
"Did you eat?"
"Yeah."
"Okay."
That was it.
No teasing.
No laughter.
No "you forgot to miss me."
Just words.
Michael stared at his phone after the call ended.
The silence didn't hurt the way it used to.
It just… sat there.
Heavy.
He dropped the phone beside him and turned back to his books.
If something was slipping—
Then he needed to hold onto something else.
And right now?
That something was his future.
The library had become his second home.
Quiet.
Predictable.
Safe.
Michael sat at the same corner table, books spread out, pen moving steadily across paper.
For once—
His mind stayed.
"Hey… you're here again."
Michael looked up.
A guy stood across from him, holding a notebook.
Same one from his class.
"Yeah," Michael replied simply.
The guy smiled lightly.
"You always pick this spot."
Michael shrugged.
"It's quiet."
"Mind if I join you?"
Michael hesitated for a second.
Then nodded.
"Sure."
The guy sat down, opening his notebook.
"I'm Daniel, by the way."
"Michael."
"Law, right?"
Michael gave a small nod.
Daniel glanced at his notes.
Then back at him.
"You look like someone who's trying very hard not to think about something else."
Michael paused.
That… was too accurate.
But instead of responding, he just said—
"I'm trying to understand this topic."
Daniel smiled slightly.
"Fair enough."
And just like that—
The conversation ended.
But somehow—
It didn't feel forced.
Across the world—
Lucas didn't notice how late it had gotten.
His desk was filled.
Papers.
Reports.
Numbers that refused to make sense the way he wanted them to.
"…This doesn't add up," he muttered, flipping through a document.
"It doesn't," Lina confirmed calmly from across the table.
Lucas leaned back, rubbing his forehead.
"Then fix it."
"We can't fix what's already gone," she replied.
Lucas looked up.
Frustration flickering across his face.
"Then what do you suggest?"
Lina didn't rush her answer.
"We minimize the loss," she said. "And prevent it from happening again."
Lucas exhaled slowly.
Every decision felt like pressure.
Every mistake—
Permanent.
His phone lit up.
Michael.
For a brief second—
Everything else faded.
Lucas reached for it.
Answered immediately.
"Hey."
"Hey."
And just like that—
The real world came back.
"I just finished studying," Michael said.
"That's good," Lucas replied, eyes still scanning the document in front of him.
A pause.
"You sound busy," Michael added.
Lucas nodded slightly.
"Yeah. Just work."
Another pause.
"…Okay."
There it was again.
That word.
Lucas frowned slightly.
But before he could say anything—
"Let me not disturb you," Michael added.
"I'll call you later."
The line went dead.
Lucas stared at his phone.
"…I didn't say that," he muttered.
But the call was already over.
Michael sat back in his chair.
Phone in hand.
He didn't feel like calling again.
Didn't feel like explaining.
Because lately—
It felt like he was always the one reaching.
And maybe…
Just maybe—
He was tired of it.
Across the world—
Lucas dropped his phone onto the table.
Something wasn't right.
But he didn't have time to figure it out.
"Mr. Lucas?"
He looked up.
Lina stood there, holding another file.
"This needs your attention."
Lucas nodded.
"Leave it."
She didn't move immediately.
He noticed.
"…What?"
Lina studied him.
Not like an employee.
Not like before.
But like someone trying to understand something deeper.
"You've been distracted," she said.
Lucas frowned slightly.
"I'm working, aren't I?"
"That's not what I meant."
He leaned back.
"…Then what do you mean?"
Lina stepped a little closer.
Not too close.
But enough.
"I mean," she said carefully, "you're here… but not always present."
Lucas didn't respond.
Because that wasn't entirely wrong.
She continued—
"It happens every time your phone rings."
That made him look at her.
"You change," she added.
Silence.
Lucas' expression hardened slightly.
"You're overanalyzing."
"Am I?" she asked calmly.
Another pause.
Then—
She said it.
Directly.
"Is he the reason you've been distracted lately?"
The room went still.
Lucas didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Because that question—
Wasn't supposed to exist.
Not here.
Not from her.
Not from anyone.
"…What?" he said slowly.
But it wasn't confusing.
It was a caution.
Lina held his gaze.
Unshaken.
"I heard his voice," she continued quietly. "The day I picked your call."
Lucas' chest tightened slightly.
"I didn't think much of it at first," she added. "But then… I started noticing things."
Every word felt like a step closer to something dangerous.
"The way you speak to him," she said.
"The way your tone changes."
Lucas stood up slowly.
"That's enough."
His voice wasn't loud.
But it was firm.
Lina didn't flinch.
"I'm not judging you," she said.
That made him pause.
"I'm just asking," she continued.
Lucas looked at her.
Really looked this time.
Trying to understand—
How much she knew.
How much she suspected.
"…You're crossing a line," he said finally.
Lina nodded slightly.
"Maybe," she admitted.
Then softer—
"But I don't think I'm wrong."
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Lucas didn't respond again.
Because anything he said—
Could make it worse.
And for the first time—
It wasn't just distance threatening what he had with Michael.
It was exposure.
And Lina?
She was no longer just observing.
She was seeing.