Page 173 of Say My Name

“If she never returns from leave?”

“Same answer.”

I close the Weller file.

“Withdraw.”

The head of acquisitions sits back. “The board will challenge it.”

“They can challenge me.”

“What reason goes in the notice?” Evan asks.

“The official reason is strategic discretion. Elena’s private history stays privileged, but legal can document the target’s nondisclosure and transition risk for the board.”

Counsel nods. “You’ll need to notify them today.”

“Schedule it. I’ll take responsibility for the decision.”

Evan enters the instructions into his tablet. “Does this depend on what happens between you and Elena?”

“No.” I meet each of their eyes. “It stands if she resigns, rejects me, or never speaks to me outside work again.”

I make sure the answer leaves no room for negotiation.

After they leave, I call Maya.

She answers on the second ring. “Mr. Rowe.”

The formality is deliberate. Maya used to greet me with complaints about the meetings I added to Elena’s calendar. Today, she sounds like an assistant protecting her executive.

“I need to ask you about Thursday.”

“Elena is on approved personal leave.”

“I know. I approved it.”

“Then you have the relevant information.”

I can’t fault her for protecting her person.

I look through the glass toward Elena’s closed office. Her desk is clear. She left no unfinished work visible and no inconvenience for anyone else to manage.

“She arrived late,” I say.

“By eighteen minutes.”

“In four years, how many times has that happened?”

“Twice. The first time, there was a pipe leak in her building.”

“And Thursday?”

“She said she had a lot going on.”

I think about Elena’s untouched coffee, the water Maya carried into her office, and the hesitation in her stance outside my door before she left without an explanation.

Seventeen days have passed since the last time we had sex.