Chapter 38

• Emerson
• The tension between Lila and me had been thick since the moment we stepped onto the plane for this business trip. She was as charming and flirtatious as ever, her eyes constantly seeking mine, her touches lingering too long for my liking. But it all felt hollow now. I couldn’t stop thinking about Raven—about our broken marriage, the distance between us that seemed to grow wider every day.
• Lila was a distraction, nothing more. She was supposed to be a temporary reprieve from the cold silence I endured at home, but now even she felt like a burden. My mind wasn’t with her, and I knew she could sense it. But what could I do? My life was unraveling, and I had no idea how to put the pieces back together.