Arem Zyke — POV
I walk into the building with a fresh mood, a calm pulse humming under my skin. I'm impatient—aching, actually—to see my Evan baby. The office is the usual chaos: some workers gossiping, some pretending to work.
Sara spots me first. Of course she does. She practically bounces toward me.
"Secretary Arem! How are you? I heard you weren't feeling well recently."
I keep the perfect mask stretched over my face—polite, harmless, disgustingly soft. Inside, I'm irritated because she's blocking the path between me and my baby. But on the surface…
"I'm fine, Miss Sara. Thank you."
She leans closer, inhaling. "Wow, Secretary Arem… you smell so good today. Really luxurious. What brand—"
Of course I smell good. I'm wearing a cologne that only exists once in the whole world, a scent I spent a ridiculous amount on. A fragrance I bought only for my Evan. If he likes it, then everything is worth it.
"It's just a normal perfume," I lie smoothly.
