Page 108 of Before Dawn

Thirteen meetings. Interviews. Two photo shoots. Endless back-and-forth emails. By now, I was running on fumes and a whiskey buzz that was starting to backfire. I rubbed a hand down my face, willing the irritation away as Cataleya Nguyen pushedanotherquestion across the table.

“Mr. Suarez,” she began, her voice calm but pointed, “with expansion into more cities, how will you preserve Elite Rides’ exclusivity and premium appeal? Scaling up risks diluting the brand.”

It was a fair concern, but my patience was wearing thin. I leaned back, adjusting my cufflinks—a subtle tell when I was keeping my temperin check.

“Our reputation is non-negotiable,” I said evenly. “We’re synchronizing driver training, customer perks, and app updates across markets to maintain consistency. Expansion isn’t a risk, it’s an opportunity, and we’ll surpass expectations.”

She studied me briefly, her brow furrowing before nodding in acceptance. The tension in my shoulders eased slightly as the discussion moved on to less critical topics.

The rest of the day unfolded in a blur: an interview with a tech magazine on our algorithm, followed by a development team meeting about a minor fare calculation bug.

By three, I’d managed to scarf down half a sandwich between phone calls, one with our marketing director, who needed approval for an upcoming ad campaign, and another with our lawyers about new regulations for transport services outside of the United States.

The first photo shoot of the day came after that, where I stood in front of a white backdrop while some overenthusiastic photographer barked orders at me like I was a damn mannequin.

“Chin up, Mr. Suarez. You look powerful but not very approachable,” the photographer called out, adjusting the angle of the camera.

Approachable? I was one more instruction away from losing it.

I forced a tight smile, holding the pose for another shot. As the photographer leaned in to adjust the lighting, I leveled him with a sharp look. “Watch it. I don’t have endless patience today.”

The thought of the gym was almost laughable at that point. My workout gear sat in my car, mocking me. I’d promised myself I’d make it, even if only for thirty minutes. But by the time I considered it, another meeting was waiting, where someone on the board would ask the same question a thousand different ways, only to get the same answer.

The meeting dragged on as expected, and focus became harder as I wrapped up my last point. Glancing at the clock, I saw it was twelve minutes to eight.

The rest of the room started packing up their notes, murmuring polite goodbyes, but I stayed seated for a moment longer. I needed to breathe, to let the silence settle before heading back into the chaos.

My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I pulled it out, scrolling through emails. Another client issue, another marketing request, another update from the tech team. It felt endless, and the day still wasn’t over.

Then I saw her name pop up, andfuck, I hadn’t spoken to Abigail much today. Guilt settled in my chest as I opened her text.

Red:I hope your day is going okay.

Red:Thanks for lunch, by the way!!

Me:You’re always welcome. As for work, it’s exhausting. How’s your day going?

Red:Too busy, but we close soon.

I stared at the screen, waiting for the typing bubbles. They appeared, disappeared, then popped up again.

Me:I can only imagine. We haven’t seen each other much lately.

Me:I’ll come see you after I leave my office tonight.

Red:I’ll come to you instead. I know how exhausted you are.

Me:Are you sure? It’s no problem to drive to you.

Me:It never is.

Red:I’m very sure. Text me your address.

Me:Okay, I’ll see you later.

Red:Good.

Red:Let me know when you’re done.

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