THE PEONIES ON THE FLOOR WERE JUST THE BEGINNING OF A BRUTAL TRUTH

The hallway was quiet, illuminated by the harsh overhead fluorescent lights that made the white silk of Maya’s wedding dress gleam like porcelain. At the far end of the corridor, the elevator doors stood fully open. A tall man in a dark wool coat stepped out into the hallway.

It was Corey.

Even from twenty feet away, the familiarity of his stride hit Maya like a physical wave. He still wore his hair cropped short, his shoulders slightly squared against the cold, and that intense, burning gaze fixed entirely on her. He didn't look like a ghost anymore; he looked flesh and blood, breathing the same recycled air of an empty apartment building.

Zoe stepped out of the kitchen area behind Maya, gasping softly when she saw the figure standing at the end of the hall. "Is that... holy crap, Maya. That's actually Corey."

"He flew here," Maya whispered, her legs feeling entirely weightless as if she were still standing on the round mirror platform in the bridal boutique. "He actually got on a plane."

Corey started walking toward them down the long carpeted hallway. His footsteps were measured, heavy, and deliberate. He didn't smile, but his eyes held that wild, consuming fire that had once defined Maya’s entire existence.

When he reached unit 2204, he stopped in the doorway, looking past Maya into the sterile, empty living room where the pale rectangular outlines on the walls marked where Isaiah’s life had just been unpinned.

"Looks like he didn't waste any time," Corey said quietly, his voice raspy from travel and cold air. He turned his gaze back to Maya, taking in the white strapless dress, the tear-streaked face, and the oversized denim jacket draped over her shoulders. "You look stunning, even in the wreckage."

"Corey, you shouldn't have come here," Maya said, though her voice lacked any real conviction. She took a half-step toward him, the heavy silk skirt of her gown whispering against the floor. "Everything is ruined. My parents are arriving tomorrow morning, the venue is cancelled, and I have no idea where Isaiah went."

"Good," Corey said, stepping across the threshold into the apartment. "Because that means you're finally free."