Page 16

Theo

I sit at the head of the long conference table while everyone enjoys their lunch, my eyes drifting to Mackenzie. Her fingers move across her tablet, typing like the room isn’t even there. She can’t be taking notes, but she’s not eating either. I wonder what she’s thinking, and she won’t meet my eyes.

Last night, the remaining founders made a decision. I’m going to be the new CEO. I didn’t love the job before, but I know firsthand now that it’s too big for one person, so we’ll split up the duties. Emerson Healy from SHN is going to help us shape the new positions, and I’m hoping to keep Mackenzie at my side to help guide us forward. As the CEO’s admin, she’s essentially the second in command.

That was the only concession I asked for, and everyone agreed. We all know she’s the heart of EnergiFusion. And now, watching her, agitated and clearly upset, it feels like something inside me is breaking.

“Why didn’t you consider Crystal for CEO?” Wade Williams’s voice rises over the quiet talk around the table. Everything goes still. All eyes turn to me.

“Have you heard from her lately?” I ask.

“No,” he says. “I left her a message after the news about Justin.” He looks away.

“The last time I talked to her was before Rhys’s wedding,” Gil Collins says.

“We might’ve considered her if she’d been around.” I clasp my hands in front of me. “But she’s disappeared. She doesn’t seem interested in being an active part of EnergiFusion.” I don’t want to tell the board that she’s refusing to return and believes she’s the main suspect in Justin’s death.

“Maybe she’s not here because you didn’t invite her?” Gil notes, his voice full of confidence. Seems he believes the story Crystal told before she vanished, that we’re all against her and Justin wanted her to be named CEO.

I shake my head and sigh. That’s not it.

Crystal left EnergiFusion months ago, without a fight, without a word. Not with blame or because we forced her out. Just silence.

And silence can be more dangerous than anything else.

“Any updates on the case?” Wade asks. He looks over at Jim.

Jim stands. “Give me just a moment,” he says.

He confers with me and with Rhys and Austin, and we agree to reconvene our session, even as the board members finish eating.

Jim moves to the front of the room, and everyone turns toward him. He speaks with calm and care. “Let’s consider ourselves back in session. I can give you a report on what we know about the situation with Justin Capriotti. The coroner took blood and tissue samples from his body. Three labs are working on them now—two private ones and the City’s. It’ll take a few weeks before we get any answers. After that, Justin’s family will follow through with his final wishes.”

“Was it really murder?” Wade asks.

I suppress an eye roll. Does he think Justin somehow fell into that freezer?

“Yes,” Jim says, his voice firm.

He concludes his report, and the meeting continues with reports from various departments and a financial outlook statement. It drags on well into the afternoon, long past the point where I’m able to focus. When it finally ends, most people leave quickly. There doesn’t seem to be too many questions, so we’ve accomplished our task. Soon, only Mason, Austin, Rhys, and I are left at the table.

Across the room, Mackenzie is helping the hotel staff with the final details. She nods and tucks the bill into her planner, just another thing she’ll take care of.

When she walks over to me, there’s something in her eyes. She’s not just tired. She’s done.

“Theo, I need to get home to Levi,” she says. “But listen, you deserve to choose who works for you in your new role. I can tender my resignation.”

I shake my head immediately. “Mackenzie, I choose you. We need you. You’re too important to lose. You know how important you are to the company. I could never do this job without you. Please don’t quit.”

“I just need to make sure that’s the right move for me,” she says. “I have my career to think about, and my life with Levi. I think I should at least move back to my own place.”

“I’m not sure Jim will sign off on that just yet,” I counter. “But I hear what you’re saying. Of course, your career is important too. Please,” I add. “Give it ninety days. That’s all I’m asking. See how the new setup is going to play out before making a final decision.”

Mason steps in, glancing at the time. “Come to dinner with us, Mackenzie. We have a lot to figure out.”

She looks back and forth between us for a moment but then nods. “I’ll check in with Georgia and see if she can stay.” She steps away to make a call.

The fear that had gripped me subsides, just a little.

“I’ll talk to her,” Mason assures me.

I nod. After a moment, she has things arranged, and we gather the last of our materials and head out.

Phillip drives through the busy streets, my head full of thoughts I can’t untangle. Lights from cars and buildings flash by in streaks, but all I can really see is the woman next to me.

Mackenzie is quiet, sitting stiffly in her seat as we head to Waterbar. There’s silence between us.

When we stop in front of the restaurant, I finally voice what’s been on my mind.

“I know it’s a lot to be living in the same place and, now, to consider being my admin again. Things between us aren’t as smooth as they should be,” I tell her. “And I know it’s my fault. Not yours. Please, just give me ninety days to fix it.”

She gives me a curt nod, and for a second, I see something soft in her eyes. But then her words hit like a punch. “I regret that night we spent together.”

Her voice is low, but the words cut deep.

“That’s the last thing I’d ever regret,” I tell her. And it’s the truth.

For a moment, we just look at each other. Like we’re standing at the edge of something we don’t dare name.

Then she opens the door and gets out of the car. I follow suit, and the cold breeze from the Bay zings past me, sharp and salty.

I take a deep breath. “Thank you…for giving the ninety days a chance,” I tell her. I hope she hears how much it means to me.

She stops right before we walk inside, her eyes forward. “I can still change my mind.”

It’s not a threat. Just a quiet truth. What can I do but nod in agreement?

Inside the restaurant, the hostess leads us to a quiet room in the back. It’s private, hidden from the rest of the diners, just what we need. There’s too much going on to have strangers watching or listening.

Everyone is standing around with drinks in their hands.

Mason moves in next to me as Mackenzie continues on toward the table. “You need to figure out what she needs to stay…” He looks across the room at Mackenzie, who is now talking to Jim.

I nod my agreement.

After a few minutes, dinner is served, but no one is really eating. The mood is heavy. We talk about the funeral plans, the police, and all the questions that don’t seem to have answers.

“They keep asking the same things,” Austin says, pushing his plate away. “They wanted to know the last time I saw Justin. If we argued.” He shakes his head. “He was acting strange, and I was just so frustrated.”

No one is shocked. We all knew something was off with Justin near the end.

“But the police didn’t press me about it,” Austin adds. “It’s like they’re looking for something else. Something we’re missing.”

The table goes quiet.

I take a slow drink of water. Losing Justin isn’t just about missing a friend. It’s like a crack has opened in everything we’ve worked for. “We need to focus on what we know,” I say, setting down my glass. “And control what we can.”

I slide my chair back a little. The lighting in the room is dim, the shadows long and quiet. It feels more like a moment of mourning than a business dinner.

“The last time I saw Justin,” Rhys says, “we were working on the sodium-ion battery. He seemed distracted.” He looks around the table before he speaks again. “I didn’t think much of it. But now that I’ve been in his shoes? I don’t know how he handled it all.”

Austin rests his elbows on the table. “Did the police ask you about being CEO?”

Rhys nods. “Yeah. They wanted to know if I liked the job.” He lets out a long breath and shakes his head. “I told them the truth. It’s a hot potato. Nobody really wants to hold on to it. Well, except for Crystal.”

We all nod.

“Speaking of Crystal,” I say. “Has anyone heard from her? Or from Turner?”

“I thought they might be together,” Rhys says, “but I read in the tabloids that Velvet Anomaly is back in a studio working on a reunion album.”

Austin lets out a quiet laugh, but it doesn’t sound happy. “She may jump on the next plane from wherever she is when she hears you’ve been named CEO.”

I can’t help but smile, though a knot of worry sits in my stomach.

“I’m scheduled to speak to the police tomorrow morning,” Mackenzie says after a moment. “After hearing you all talk, I’m not sure what to expect.”

“Maybe we should go together,” I suggest. “My appointment is in the afternoon.” Grantham will be there, of course, but she shouldn’t have to go alone.

She hesitates. Then nods. “Thanks.”

At the end of the evening, we’ve sorted a few things out, and I walk with Mackenzie to the car. Our steps match, like they often do, and it’s quiet between us, but not in a bad way. It’s the kind of quiet that feels full, not empty.

The ride home is calm. Lights from the street pass across her face, and she looks deep in thought.

When we get to my building, she steps out first, and I follow. Upstairs, she walks straight to Levi’s room. I greet Georgia and then find Mackenzie watching Levi sleep, her face full of care.

“Soccer practice,” Georgia whispers with a smile. “Tires him out, but he’s getting good.”

“When’s the next game?” I ask. I want to be there for him. For them.

“Next Thursday after school,” she says.

“Let’s both go,” I tell Mackenzie, hoping for something real, something to hold on to.

She looks at me a long moment but then nods and walks with Georgia to the elevator. I turn toward the living room and pour a small glass of bourbon—Justin’s favorite. Before I drink, I watch the liquid swirl, thinking about everything we’ve lost.

“Goodnight,” Mackenzie says softly from the hallway.

I look up. “Join me for a drink?”

She pauses, and then steps into the room. I hand her a glass, and our fingers brush, just for a second.

We sit side by side on the couch, the space between us warm now. Given her reluctance earlier, I should be feeling like I’m on thin ice. But somehow, I don’t.

“That night we were together… Do you really regret it?” I ask after a moment.

She doesn’t answer right away. Then, gently, she shakes her head.

That’s all I need to know.

I lean in, just a little, and when she doesn’t move away, I kiss her.

It starts slow, careful. But then she kisses me back, and everything else fades away.