Page 11 of American Beauty

When I push open my office door, I stop short. A welcome-back banner decorates the space, and bright pink, yellow, and orange balloons hover near the ceiling, perfectly matching the bouquet on my desk. Someone did an excellent job coordinating.

I set my bag down and reach for the card nestled among the blooms.

Welcome back, Mags! Work has been straight-ass dull without you. It was up to me to liven up the place. You’re welcome.

—Violet

A small smile tugs at my lips. Of course, this was her doing.

“Wow, Sophie. Look at this.”

I glance up as Whitney and Sophie step into my office, both surveying the decorations with amused expressions.

“No balloons for us,” Whitney says, crossing her arms. “Not even a sad little streamer.”

Sophie releases an exaggerated sigh. “I am so underappreciated.”

Violet breezes in, her signature confidence filling the room before she even speaks. “Because neither of you have a friend as spectacular as me.”

Violet’s always been thoughtful, but I never expected anything like this. Maybe part of her has always tried to make me feel special because she knows I don’t have family who would.

I blink back the sting in my eyes and manage a smile. “You didn’t have to do all this, Vi.”

She shrugs, grinning like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Of course I did. Do you know how boring this place has been without you? I had to show you how glad I am that you’re back.”

I gesture toward the extravagant bouquet. “The flowers are stunning.”

“You deserve flowers.” Violet smirks. “And since you have no man to send them to you, I’ve taken it upon myself. It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it.”

Settle down, Violet. Let’s not get carried away.

The banter and laughter fade as Violet and the others return to their desks, and I sink into my chair. The decorations, the jokes, the flowers—they’re a pleasant distraction. But the moment I’m alone, that lingering heaviness creeps in again. But I don’t have time to dwell on it.

Gabby calls out, “Team, conference room in five.”

I push to my feet, and it’s business as usual. By the time I step into the conference room, everyone’s already settling in. Gabby stands at the head of the table. “Overall, the expansion was a success. The new team adjusted well and maintained a strong match rate. The transition was smoother than expected. But with fewer matches overall, even a single failure had a significant impact on our success rate—more than we would’ve liked. It’s unusual, but I believe with time and refinement, Soul Sync Australia’s success rate will improve.”

My face is expressionless, but a knot pulls tight in my stomach. That failed match she’s referring to takes up a lot of space in my mind.

Somehow, Celeste manipulated the system—slithered her way back into Alex’s life, into our lives—and we still don’t know how she did it. We still don’t know who leaked his emails. Still don’t know how she twisted the truth until it broke.

She threatened me. Forced Alex to pay her off just to keep quiet.

But even now—even with money in her pocket and distance between us—I don’t believe for a second that she’s truly gone. People like her don’t vanish. They hide. They wait.

And some sick, instinctive part of me keeps looking over my shoulder, wondering when she’ll surface again.

“Whitney, Sophie—thoughts on the new team?” Gabby asks.

Whitney speaks up first. “The Australian team is eager and well-trained, but they lack the intuitive flow we have here. They rely too much on metrics instead of reading the clients.”

Sophie adds, “Agreed. They follow the formula well, but the best matches come from knowing when to bend the formula.”

Gabby nods, taking that in. “And your thoughts? Can they handle it without you?”

Sophie glances at Whitney, cueing her for input. “They have potential, but they may still need more guidance. Without us there, it’ll take time to reach the standard we uphold.”

“We’ll see how things go without you there. If they don’t improve, another trip to Sydney might be necessary.”

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