Page 63 of So Close to You
She no longer has an office. Or a home. Or control. Or a clear future. Just that room in a nondescript hotel in a city she has spent years trying to conquer. She presses her forehead against the cold glass and closes her eyes. She thinks of Elliot, of her children, of one last desperate kiss in the parking garage. And then the memory of Nerissa tears her apart inside. Because, even after everything, she remains the only place where Seraphina’s body recognizes something resembling the truth.
*
Meanwhile, it takes Nerissa less than ten minutes to reach Daphne’s apartment. The rain has soaked through her coat, and she still carries the rage of everything that has happened in the last few hours clinging to her skin like a second layer of sweat. Her body feels exhausted, but her mind is fueled by violent surges of adrenaline and humiliation.
When Daphne opens the door, the warmth from inside hits her immediately. For a second, Nerissa feels the physical urge to collapse right there on the threshold, and she has no idea why she doesn’t.
Daphne watches her for a moment before stepping closer.
“My God…” she whispers with concern, touching her arm.
That simple touch nearly shatters what little composure she has left. Nerissa steps inside without saying a word. The apartment is immaculate, arranged with the elegance she had always admired in Daphne. Everything exudes stability, security, and control. Exactly the opposite of what she is feeling right now.
Daphne closes the door and leads her into the living room.
“Please, sit down. I’ll make you something,” she says gently.
Nerissa shakes her head.
“I don’t need coffee. What I need is for someone to tell me there’s still something left standing after all this.”
“Yeah… I think that’s normal.”
Nerissa closes her eyes for a moment. In her mind, she relives the headlines, the photographs, her life turned into public fodder.
“They’ve suspended me,” she murmurs.
“I know that too,” Daphne replies.
The woman lowers her hand, and then something small but revealing happens. Daphne takes half a step back, creating an almost imperceptible but cautious distance. And Nerissa notices it instantly. So much so that the living room seems to cool by several degrees.
Daphne heads to the open kitchen and returns with two cups of coffee.
“You can stay here tonight if you want,” she offers as she sets a cup on the table in front of the sofa. “You shouldn’t be alone at a time like this.”
Nerissa stares at her.
“But?” she asks, because she knows there’s a but.
Daphne sighs.
“I need… you to understand one thing. Being the auditor for the clinic merger comes at a price, and to make matters worse, the situation has become much bigger than it seemed this morning.”
Corporate speak again.
“I want to help you,” Daphne continues cautiously, “but outwardly, we need to keep our distance. I don’t want things to get worse.”
Nerissa stands still, processing what she has just heard.
“Distance?” she repeats. “You told me there would be no dark corners with you, Daphne.”
“And I still believe that,” Daphne replies, holding her gaze. “But this situation also requires some… stability. I can’t jeopardize my job or my reputation over this.”
Because of this. Not because of you. Because of this.
Nerissa looks away toward the window.
“I’ve suddenly realized something terrible,” she murmurs, shaking her head. “Not even Seraphina could overcome her own fear. And you can’t break through the cold logic of numbers.”
