SADE

I knew he was there before I even let myself look at him, and my body reacted first, my shoulders stiffened, and my chest tightened like it remembered our time together.

The man standing beside me was Daniel from operations, one of my employees. He was the kind who showed up early and stayed late and believed in what we were building without needing speeches, and he was talking about vendor schedules. At the same time, I nodded and smiled, focusing on breathing normally even though the air in the room suddenly felt heavier.

“Do you want another drink?” Daniel asked.

“I’m good,” I said quickly, keeping my eyes...