After His Mistress Scattered My Brother’s Ashes

Zayn stepped into the penthouse at 9:47 AM. He dropped his keys in the bowl by the door. The apartment was quiet. Too quiet.

"Gemma?"

No answer.

He walked through the living room. Her reading lamp was off. The throw blanket she always folded over the couch arm was gone. He frowned and continued to the bedroom.

The closet door stood open. Empty hangers lined the rod where her clothes used to be. He stared at them for a long moment. Then he turned and checked the dresser.

Every piece of jewelry he'd ever given her sat in a neat row on the dark wood. The diamond necklace. The earrings. The bracelet. Untouched.

His jaw tightened. He pulled out his phone and dialed her number. It rang four times, then went to voicemail. He didn't leave a message.

He called again. Voicemail.

He tried three more times. Same result.

Zayn paced to the window and looked out at the Manhattan skyline. She'd left before. Not physically, but emotionally—gone quiet for days, moved through the apartment like a ghost. She always came back. This was just another version of that. A louder version. More dramatic.

She wanted his attention. Fine. She had it.

He scrolled through his contacts and called his assistant. "Marcus. I need you to handle something."

"Of course, Mr. Reynolds."

"Cancel all payments related to Ramon Castro's medical care. Effective immediately."

A pause. "Sir, are you sure? I believe there are ongoing—"

"I'm sure. Do it now."

"Understood."

Zayn ended the call and tossed his phone onto the bed. Let her realize what leaving actually cost. She'd be back by the end of the week.

He went to the office and buried himself in work.

---

Three days later, his phone rang during a board meeting. He glanced at the screen. NYC Presbyterian Hospital. He silenced it and continued talking.

The phone rang again. Same number.

He excused himself and stepped into the hallway. "Zayn Reynolds."

"Mr. Reynolds, this is Linda Cho from NYC Presbyterian billing department. I'm calling to confirm the cancellation of funding for Ramon Castro's account."

"Yes. That's correct."

"I see. I wanted to make sure there wasn't an error, given that Mr. Castro passed away on November fourteenth and was cremated on November sixteenth. The funding you've cancelled was actually earmarked for final administrative fees, which have since been waived by the family."

Zayn stopped moving. "What did you say?"

"Mr. Castro passed away three weeks ago. I have the death certificate on file if you need—"

"Three weeks."

"Yes, sir. November fourteenth at approximately 11:52 PM."

Zayn's hand tightened around the phone. November fourteenth. He'd been at Ashlyn's that night. She'd called, upset about something trivial—he couldn't even remember what. He'd left the penthouse around eight and hadn't come back until morning.

Gemma had been home that night. He remembered because she'd been sitting in the living room when he left. She'd looked up when he walked past but hadn't said anything.

She'd been sitting there. While her brother died.

"Mr. Reynolds? Are you still there?"

"Yes." His voice sounded distant. "Thank you for confirming."

He ended the call.

He stood in the empty hallway. The fluorescent lights hummed above him. Someone walked past with a stack of folders. The elevator dinged.

Three weeks.

She'd been in his apartment. At his table. In his bed. And he hadn't noticed.

He pulled up his call log. The night of November fourteenth, he'd called her at 11:43 PM to tell her he was going to Ashlyn's. She'd answered. She'd said okay. Her voice had been quiet. Normal.

Her brother had been dying, and she'd said okay.

Zayn walked back into the boardroom, told them to continue without him, and left the building.

---

He drove to the penthouse. He went to the bedroom and opened the closet again. The empty hangers stared back at him.

He checked the bathroom. Her toothbrush was gone. The face cream she used every night. The hairbrush.

He opened the dresser drawers. Empty.

She hadn't taken anything he'd given her. Just her own things. Like she was erasing herself.

He sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the jewelry on the dresser.

Three weeks ago, Ramon had died. Gemma had been carrying that alone. And instead of noticing, Zayn had been annoyed that she was quieter than usual.

He'd assumed she was sulking.

He pulled out his phone and tried her number again. Voicemail.

He tried five more times. Nothing.

He called Marcus. "I need you to find Gemma Wallace. Use whatever resources necessary. I want to know where she is by tonight."

"I'll get started immediately, sir."

Zayn ended the call. He looked at the jewelry again. The diamonds caught the afternoon light.

She'd left them behind like they meant nothing.

Maybe they did.

He pressed his palms against his eyes. The first thin crack of something he didn't want to name began to spread through his chest.