Finally, Elara went home.
It was already evening. She had just finished work, entered her car in the basement parking, and drove off through the city streets.
Her apartment was a high-end unit in one of the finest neighborhoods—elegant, secure, the kind of place that signaled success. She had worked hard for it.
She unlocked the door and stepped inside. Silence greeted her.
No lights on. No sound. No smell of dinner cooking.
She walked straight to the bedroom and collapsed onto the bed, still in her work clothes. There was no energy left to cook, no motivation to prepare anything for herself.
Her daughter, Lucy, wasn't home. She would return tomorrow from camp.
Tonight, Elara was completely alone.
A sleek white car pulled up in front of one of the biggest architectural firms in the city—FL Tech. The massive building loomed behind her as Elara stood at the entrance of the massive building .
She was well dressed as always. A sharp office lady from head to toe and on her face a genuine smile, bright and happy was plastered . A smile that said everything is fine and perfect .
The car came to a stop directly in front of her.
The man who stepped out was visibly handsome. Not conventionally perfect, perhaps, but with muscles in all the right places. His jaw was well chiseled. His lips—pink, full—curved into a small smile as his eyes found hers.
Anyone watching would have paused. Would have stared. Would have understood exactly why girls couldn't help but whisper when he walked by.
He walked around the car and opened the passenger door for her.
"Elara," he said with familiarity . Just her name,full of love and warmth.
He opened the passenger door, then reached for her bag.
"Lara", he called her by the nickname.
"Lara". Those two syllables, the way he said them—they meant something. They meant heart. And that simple thing, that one word from his lips, made her blush despite herself.
She slid into the seat and turned to him with a pouted lips.
"You kept me waiting for five minutes, you know. It's already late. People have gone home."
It was barely six in the evening—closing time for her. But still.
He rounded the car and got in behind the wheel, glancing at her with an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry my love, My boss held me back."
He pecked her cheek, then started the car and drove them home.
When they arrived, Elara went upstairs to take a shower while he stayed downstairs and began preparing dinner.
By the time Elara came down, the food was already on the table.
"Go ahead and eat," He said, pulling out a chair for her. "Let me just freshen up quickly."
She sat down and inhaled deeply. "Mm, this smells nice and it's much."
He paused at the stairs and glanced back at her with a warm smile. "Yeah? Well, you have to eat well. For you and the little guy over there."
He gestured toward her belly.
She laughed. "Most times I forget there's a little guy in there. Then he kicks, and I remember."
Jonas smiled softly from the stairs. "He's going to have your stubbornness. Kicking to remind you he exists."
"My stubbornness?" She placed a hand on her belly. "Please. If he's stubborn, that's all you."
He disappeared upstairs, and Elara turned back to the food. Rice. Stew. Plantains. Simple, but made with care. The kind of meal that said I thought about you today.
She ate slowly, savoring it. Her hand stayed on her belly, resting there like a habit she was still learning.
When he came back down, hair still damp from the shower, he found her finishing the last bite.
"Good?" he asked, sliding into the chair across from her.
"Perfect." She smiled. "You're going to spoil me."
He reached across the table and took her hand. "That's the plan."
For a moment, they just sat there. His thumb traced slow circles on her skin. The kitchen was warm. The evening was quiet. Everything felt possible.
"Jonas," she said softly.
"Yeah?"
"I'm scared."
His hand tightened around hers. "I know, La. Me too."
"But excited," she added quickly. "I'm excited too."
He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. "That's all that matters. We're in this together. You and me and the little guy."
She laughed again, but this time her eyes were wet.
"Together," she repeated.
Suddenly, everything started to fracture.
She called out for him, but he wasn't there.
Then she felt it—something wet on her thighs. Blood. Wet, red blood.
Not hers.
Her baby's.
She opened her mouth to scream, but the sound was swallowed by darkness—
And jolted awake.
Her eyes flew open. Darkness surrounded her. She was in her bedroom. Alone.
A nightmare. Just a nightmare.
Her heart pounded against her ribs. She reached for the lamp on her bedside table, clicked it on, and pulled open the drawer. Her hands fumbled for the medicine bottle—the pills that helped her sleep, that kept the nightmares at bay.
The drawer was empty.
She stared at it for a long moment, then let out a slow, heavy sigh.
"No sleep for me tonight."
She glanced at her phone. 2:00 a.m.
The world outside was dark and silent. Everyone else was asleep.
She swung her legs out of bed, grabbed her phone, and padded downstairs. In the living room, she switched on the TV—just for light, just for noise—and settled onto the couch.
Dawn was still hours away.
She would wait.
She scrolled through the channel list absently, not really watching—just letting the light and noise fill the empty living room. News. A movie she'd seen twice. Some reality show. More news.
She was about to keep scrolling when something on the screen made her stop.
The news anchor was speaking, a serious expression on her face. Behind her, a familiar logo appeared—sleek, modern, unmistakable.
The engineering firm.
The one she had been trying to secure a partnership with for months now. The one that seemed just out of reach no matter how many emails she sent, how many connections she tried to make.
It was a new company—barely three years old—but in that short time, it had become a hotshot. Major achievements. International recognition. Every firm in the country was seeking a partnership with them. And so far, very few had succeeded.
Elara sat up straighter, turning up the volume.
"...announcement coming from the CEO himself," the journalist continued. "Sources confirm that he will be visiting Fordland City next month. This marks his first public appearance in the region since the company's rapid rise to prominence. Speculation is already mounting about potential partnerships and projects during his visit."
Elara's heart quickened.
Fordland City. Her city.
The CEO was coming here.
She stared at the screen as the logo faded and the news moved on to something else. But she wasn't watching anymore. Her mind was already spinning.
This was the opportunity she had been waiting for. If she could secure a meeting—if she could present Phoenix Architects to him directly, show him what they were capable of—
She grabbed her phone and started typing notes before the ideas could slip away.
The sun was still hours away. But for the first time since waking from that nightmare, she had something else to focus on.
Something that felt like hope.