Page 40 of My Only

I reminded myself of that as I walked toward the yard, forcing a smile, preparing to greet my kids.

But no matter how much I tried to push it away; I couldn’t shake the feeling.

That something had already taken root.

Small.

Invisible.

But growing.

CHAPTER 5

NOW – EARLY SUMMER 2023… PRESENT DAY

Hassani

I swaggered into the employee lounge, greeting a few colleagues as I made my way to the coffee bar.

The break room inside Bryant’s office building, on the Greene Gardens Project floor, wasn’t just a place to grab coffee.

It was an experience.

It was one of the reasons I accepted the office Bryant offered instead of primarily working out of my private office a mile away.

Though I still paid rent for that space, I made enough to do so comfortably—but working out of the Greene Gardens floor actually saved me money.

The space was designed with the same high level of innovation as Greene Gardens itself, reflecting the company’s culture of luxury, comfort, and community.

I was steps away from the coffee bar when I noticed Levi, our landscape architect, standing by one of the machines, stirring his drink.

I approached, clapping a hand to his shoulder.

He looked up and nodded, holding out his hand for a dap. “What’s good, what’s good?”

I smiled, accepting his hand, then reached for a paper cup. “Need fuel, man. I need all the fuel.”

He chuckled. “I’m surprised it took you this long to get here. You’ve been locked in your office all morning.”

“Yeah, man.” I shook my head, focusing on my coffee. “Finally needed liquid energy.”

The break room was massive, almost like a high-end café.

Floor-to-ceiling windows flooded the space with natural light, offering a panoramic view of Manhattan’s skyline.

It was both relaxing and invigorating. The perfect place to recharge while working on such a massive project.

Some days, I felt like I’d bit off more than I could chew.

Other days, I felt like I could conquer the world.

But today, I just felt like shit.

Usually, I had home to look forward to.

But after last night?

I had no idea what I was going home to.

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