The Cost of Happiness

Kaelen stood in the center of his darkened penthouse, phone still pressed to his ear long after the call ended.

Her voice lingered.

Not just in his ears—but in his blood, his breath, his bones.

He stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights glittering below like a thousand quiet temptations, and for the first time in years, he felt… still.

Not calculating.

Not on