The house was dim, cloaked in silence except for the slow ticking of the wall clock and the occasional shudder of a woman trying to breathe through heartbreak.
Catherine sat curled up on the living room couch, her body draped in her father's old knitted blanket — the one he used every night, the one that still smelled like menthol and medicine and a kind of love that now only existed in memory. Her arms clutched it tight, as if letting go would tear her apart.
She hadn't eaten. Hadn't had a sip of water. Her lips were dry, her eyes swollen red, and her hair messily tied back like she'd given up on herself.
She was fading in slow motion.
Aina sat beside her, gently stroking her back. She didn't try to speak anymore — she knew there were no words for grief like this. She was just there. Silent. Steady. Present.
"Thank you for staying," Catherine whispered, voice hoarse.
"You don't have to thank me," Aina replied softly. "I'm not going anywhere."
Just then, the doorbell rang.
Catherine didn't react.
Aina stood, giving her a reassuring glance, then made her way to the door. She opened it — and her brows instantly furrowed.
Maverick stood there, looking disheveled and tense. His eyes darted past Aina immediately, searching for Catherine.
But it wasn't just him.
A woman stood beside him — tall, sleek, unapologetically confident. Her long dark hair was perfectly curled, her lips painted a deep red. She gave Aina a small, tight-lipped smile. It wasn't friendly.
Aina's stomach sank. You've got to be kidding.
Before she could speak, Maverick brushed past her and stepped into the house.
Catherine didn't move.
It wasn't until he said her name, quietly — "Catherine?" — that she turned her head.
Her tired, tear-streaked face lifted.
The second she saw him… something lit in her.
And then, it shattered all over again.
Because right behind him… was her.
Rose.
Being with him.
Standing in her home.
Uninvited.
Catherine's lips parted, but no words came out. Only pain.
Maverick walked closer, guilt etched all over his face. "I—I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner. We just got back from a client meeting and I—" he gestured vaguely behind him. "This is Rose. She—"
"Hi," Rose said flatly, giving Catherine an insincere smile. "I've heard a lot about you."
Catherine blinked, then looked at Maverick like he was a stranger. "A client meeting," she repeated, her voice numb. "You brought a woman to my house. To my father's house. After everything."
Maverick stepped closer and knelt in front of her, gently placing a hand on her arm.
"Cath… I didn't mean for this to happen like this. I feel awful. I really do. I was out of town, and my phone was on silent. When I saw your calls, I came straight back. I just didn't want you to be alone."
Her voice cracked. "But I was alone."
Tears streamed down her face, quiet and relentless.
"I was alone when I found him. When I screamed for help and there was no one. I was alone when I waited. When I begged you to answer. The one person who should've been there wasn't. You were with her."
Maverick's hand dropped.
"I'm sorry," he said again, but it was weak now. Empty.
Rose, watching from near the door, rolled her eyes slightly. She shifted her weight, arms crossed, visibly irritated by the scene.
Catherine saw it.
Saw her. Saw him. Saw everything.
And something inside her just… closed.
Without another word, she stood, blanket still around her shoulders, and walked toward her bedroom. She didn't slam the door. She didn't yell.
She just quietly, deliberately, shut it behind her.
Maverick stared at the door, his chest heavy, his breath caught.
Aina stepped forward.
"I think it's best if you give her space," she said coolly. "She's going through something no words can fix. And honestly… this?" She gestured toward Rose. "This wasn't the time or place."
Maverick looked at her — for the first time, really looked. And maybe, for a moment, he realized what he'd done.
He turned toward the door.
Rose sighed. "Are we leaving or…?"
Without a word, Maverick followed her out.
The door closed behind them.
And inside, in the silence that followed, Catherine finally allowed herself to sob again — this time not just for her father, but for the love she thought she had, and the man she thought she knew.