Andrea kept staring at her phone until the glow dimmed and the screen went black, leaving her reflection faintly visible in the glass. Her own eyes looked wide, restless, almost accusing. She whispered to herself, “Okay,” as if saying it aloud might anchor her.

She had sent that message nearly three hours ago. No reply. No little dots dancing across the screen to promise a response. Nothing. The silence gnawed at her. "Was that it? Shouldn’t he say something more? Or am I the one twisting this into something complicated?"

She tried to convince herself it was fine. Henry was probably buried in meetings. The CEO of Crestview didn’t sit...