The scent of rich espresso and caramelized sugar wafted through the kitchen as Noah flipped golden pancakes with the precision of a man who had watched one too many cooking tutorials and taken them personally. The pan sizzled, syrup was warmed, berries arranged like edible confetti—and he was humming. Actually humming.
It was Lexi's birthday.
He'd woken up earlier than usual and, with a sudden rush of motivation, decided to make her breakfast. Not a half-hearted bowl of cereal or toast. No, today was full-on Pinterest-board-level breakfast. She deserved that, didn't she?
She walked in, ready for business , with a light yellow sleeveless pencil dress, perfect makeup and matching earrings.
"Whoa," Lexi said dramatically, blinking at the table. "Is this… for ME?"
"No, I invited the Queen of England over. You're just a bonus," Noah replied dryly, but the smile tugging at his mouth betrayed the softness in his chest. "Happy birthday, Lex."
Lexi's eyes brightened, and she walked over to give him a quick hug. It was tight. Warm. Just a few seconds longer than necessary. Noah didn't want to let go.
"Thank you!!," she said, very enthusiastically, as she sat down. "This is SO sweet."
Noah quirked an eyebrow, sitting across from her with his coffee. "Okay, what's going on?"
"What?" she asked, mid-sip of orange juice.
"You're being extra nice. Not just birthday-nice. Like… 'I killed your dog and I'm trying to cover it up' nice."
Lexi laughed, almost choking. "You're so dramatic."
He narrowed his eyes. "Am I dying? Did I miss a diagnosis? Blink twice if you're planning an intervention."
Lexi just grinned at him and popped a strawberry into her mouth. "You're ridiculous."
Still, Noah couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Her smile was radiant, but something behind her eyes felt… heavy. She looked at him longer than usual, as if trying to memorize his face. But when he met her gaze, she looked away.
He didn't push. He wanted today to be good. For her.
They ate together until Lexi checked the time and jumped to her feet. "Crap, I have to meet my dad. I'm already late."
Noah blinked. "You want me to come?"
Lexi hesitated for a fraction of a second. "No—it's okay. It's just a quick visit. You've got work anyway, right?"
"Right," he muttered, trying not to sound disappointed.
She kissed him on the cheek before grabbing her keys and heading out. "Thanks for breakfast. It was perfect."
He watched the door close behind her and sighed, wondering if she even realized that her touch still lingered on his skin. Or that her lips on his cheek made his heart stop beating for a whole second.
⸻
Lexi's childhood home was more of a palace than a mansion. Security guards in tailored suits greeted her with respectful nods. The marble floors gleamed beneath her heels as she was ushered into the main living room where her family awaited.
Her mother was glowing in a cream silk robe, and her father was lounging in a cashmere sweater, sipping champagne at 11:00 a.m.
"Happy birthday, darling!" her mother said, wrapping her in a hug and kissing both cheeks.
Lexi beamed as staff carried in gift boxes and luxury shopping bags like offerings to royalty.
Clothes, bags, a $12m pop art painting and a yacht. "It's not the XL model, but I hope it's okay anyway."
She laughed, overwhelmed by the extravagance but mostly by how much they still tried to buy affection like it was available in bulk.
After the last ribbon had been unwrapped and her champagne flute was refilled, she looked over at her dad and said, almost too quietly, "Did you find the information I asked for?"
Her father's expression darkened slightly. He stood. "Yes. Let's talk in my office."
The shift in mood was palpable as Lexi followed him upstairs into the sleek, oak-lined study.
He opened a drawer, pulled out a binder, and handed it to her. "Charles Blackwood. Longtime employee. Let go two weeks before he passed."
Lexi's stomach twisted as she flipped through the pages.
"Why?" she asked softly. "He worked for the company for eighteen years."
"He stopped doing his job. Missed meetings, never called in. One of those meetings almost lost us our biggest client. We had no choice."
Lexi sat down slowly, her heart pounding.
"Should I tell Noah?" she murmured.
Her father shrugged, folding his arms. "If he hasn't asked about it, maybe let it be."
"But what if he doesn't know?"
"Does he really need to?" her dad countered.
Lexi stared down at the binder again, then at the time.
"I have to go. I'm meeting Noah at Vertaverse."
Her dad raised a brow. "Verta what now?"
"Short-format video streaming. Huge on TikTok. I'll explain later. Tell mom thanks."
⸻
Noah was already waiting by the reception desk when Lexi rushed into the tall glass building, panting slightly.
"Sorry! There were a lot of gifts," she explained, breathless.
"If you were trying to humblebrag, you failed miserably," Noah said, jabbing the elevator button.
"You look very handsome, Noah," she compliments him with a honey sweet voice.
"Thanks..." he says hesitantly. "You too."
The elevator dinged and they stepped inside.
Noah glanced at her sideways. "You're still acting weird."
"I'm fine."
"You're scary nice today. It's unnerving. Did you have a stroke? Are you dying?"
Lexi let out an exaggerated laugh. "Noah, you are SO funny."
He narrowed his eyes. "You're deflecting."
Before she could respond, the elevator jerked to a sudden halt. Lights flickered.
Lexi's hand flew to the wall. "What the hell?"
Noah started pressing buttons. Nothing. He hit the emergency one. No response.
Lexi checked her phone. "No signal."
Her voice cracked.
Noah turned to her and instantly recognized the signs—shallow breathing, darting eyes.
"Lexi, hey," he said gently. "Look at me."
She didn't.
"Sit down with me," he said, slowly guiding her to the floor. "Deep breaths, okay? In through your nose, out through your mouth."
She closed her eyes tightly. "I hate small spaces."
"I know," he whispered. He pulled her into his arms. "It's okay. I've got you."
She clung to him like he was her anchor.
He wrapped his arms around her tighter, resting his chin on her head. His voice was soft.
"Keep talking," she mumbled. "It helps."
Noah smiled, heart thudding. "Okay." He thinks for a moment. "When I was procrastinating earlier, I saw a video of a guy catching a small shark while fishing with his son. It made me think of the first fishing trip with my dad." The mention of Charles makes Lexi's heart clench uncomfortably. "I was eight. My dad took me upstate. Just the two of us. We didn't catch a thing. Not a single fish. But we stayed up half the night laughing because a raccoon stole all our food and we had to eat his emergency trail mix."
Lexi smiled faintly, her breathing slowing.
"He let me wear his baseball cap the whole drive home," Noah said. "I still have it."
There was silence for a moment.
"You know… we still don't know why he did it," Noah said suddenly, voice thick with emotion.
Lexi looked up. "Did what?"
"Why he killed himself. Why he left us... " He swallowed. "He had just bought tickets for a monster truck show. He knew I was excited to go with him."
Silence. Lexi was watching her husband intently.
"And I never went. Still haven't."
Lexi saw the glint of tears in his eyes before a single tear escaped and rolled down his cheek.
She reached up and brushed it away, gently cupping his face. Their eyes locked.
The elevator disappeared.
The world disappeared.
They leaned in, slowly, breathlessly. Their lips met, soft and tentatively at first, then deeper—more aching than lustful. It was need. It was recognition.
It was real.
Noah's hand slid over her back and down the curve of her thigh. Lexi's fingers unbuttoned his shirt, slowly, like she was afraid the moment would break if she moved too fast.
She undid the last button, then-
Ding. The elevator doors opened.
Three strangers stood outside.
Lexi and Noah jumped to their feet, adjusting clothes, breathless and red-faced. One of the women muttered something in Mandarin. Another just raised her brows approvingly at Noah's abs.
Noah buttoned his shirt quickly. Lexi smoothed her hair.
They exited the elevator, not saying a word until they were down the hall.
Noah looked at her and grinned. "Well. That happened."
Lexi giggled and adjusted her bag. "Happy birthday to me."
They knocked on the PR office door together, both secretly hoping the next elevator ride might be just as unforgettable.