Noah's POV
I didn't sleep well.
That realization hit me the moment I opened my eyes the next morning.
The digital clock beside the bed read 6:17 a.m.
I stared at the ceiling.
Then rolled onto my side.
Then onto my back.
Then onto my other side.
Sleep had come eventually.
But not before I spent nearly half the night staring into the darkness like an idiot.
And the reason was currently sitting inside the drawer of my desk.
A stupid envelope.
A stupid parcel.
A stupid collection of photographs that shouldn't have affected me as much as they did.
I groaned and buried my face into my pillow.
This was ridiculous.
Absolutely ridiculous.
I trusted Diamant.
I trusted him more than anyone else in this world.
So why was I still thinking about it?
Why was it the first thing that entered my mind when I woke up?
I sat up and rubbed my face.
Maybe because whoever sent it knew exactly what they were doing.
The photos themselves weren't even that incriminating.
There was no kissing.
No touching.
Nothing romantic.
Nothing that screamed betrayal.
And yet...
They had been taken from angles that made everything seem more intimate than it probably was.
I hated that I had even noticed that.
"Get a grip, Noah."
I muttered the words to myself before climbing out of bed.
The room felt too large.
Too quiet.
Too empty.
I missed Diamant.
Maybe that was the real problem.
Maybe I was simply overthinking because he wasn't here.
That had to be it.
There was no other explanation.
I went through my morning routine before heading downstairs for breakfast.
The dining table looked almost comically large without Diamant occupying one end of it.
Usually, even when we weren't talking, his presence filled the room.
Now there was only silence.
I stabbed my fork into a piece of toast.
Suddenly remembering the photographs again.
I immediately regretted it.
Great.
Not even breakfast was safe.
The image of that woman appeared in my head.
Beautiful.
Elegant.
Confident.
Everything about her screamed sophistication.
The exact type of woman who looked like she belonged beside someone like Diamant.
I immediately frowned.
"No."
I shook my head.
No.
I wasn't doing this.
I wasn't going to compare myself to some random stranger.
That was exactly what whoever sent the package wanted.
I wasn't going to fall for it.
The rest of breakfast passed in relative peace.
At least until I reached the office.
The moment I stepped into my workspace, my eyes automatically drifted toward the drawer.
The same drawer.
The same stupid drawer.
The same stupid photographs.
I stared at it for several seconds.
Then immediately looked away.
Nope.
Not opening it.
Not looking at them again.
Not today.
I had work to do.
Real work.
Important work.
Work that definitely didn't involve obsessing over mysterious women and anonymous packages.
Unfortunately, my brain had other plans.
By lunchtime, I had read the same report three times without understanding a single word.
By mid-afternoon, I accidentally sent an email draft to the wrong department.
By evening, I was convinced my concentration had officially died.
I leaned back in my chair and sighed.
This wasn't like me.
Normally I was good at focusing.
But today my thoughts kept wandering.
And every road somehow led back to Diamant.
When was the last time we spent a full day together?
A real day.
Not a quick breakfast.
Not a late dinner.
Not passing each other between meetings.
A proper day.
I couldn't remember.
The realization caught me off guard.
Recently, things had been busy.
Diamant had been busy.
I had been busy.
We still saw each other every day.
Still talked.
Still ate together whenever possible.
Still slept in the same bed.
But...
When was the last time we had actually spent uninterrupted time together?
A strange heaviness settled in my chest.
Not because I blamed him.
I knew how hard he worked.
Nobody worked harder than Diamant Reed.
But maybe...
Maybe I missed him more than I realized.
The thought lingered with me all the way home.
That evening, my phone rang.
And just like yesterday, the name on the screen instantly brightened my mood.
Diamant ❤️
I accepted immediately.
His face appeared.
Sharp.
Handsome.
Annoyingly perfect.
"Hi."
A small smile tugged at my lips.
Diamant raised an eyebrow.
"You look tired."
I blinked.
Trust Diamant to notice immediately.
"I'm fine."
"That's not an answer."
"I slept late."
"Why?"
I hesitated.
Only for a second.
The parcel flashed through my mind.
The photographs.
The note.
The woman.
Then I shook the thought away.
There was no point bringing it up.
Not when I didn't even believe it myself.
"Couldn't sleep."
Diamant studied me carefully.
For a moment I thought he might push further.
Instead, he nodded.
"Sleep earlier tonight."
The concern hidden beneath his words warmed my chest.
As always.
He wasn't good at expressing emotions directly.
But he cared.
A lot.
Even if he rarely said it.
The conversation shifted to lighter topics after that.
Work.
Food.
Evan being annoying.
My failed attempt at organizing one of Diamant's filing systems.
The usual.
Slowly, the uncomfortable feeling inside me began to fade.
This was the Diamant I knew.
The man who made sure I ate properly.
The man who called every night despite his insane schedule.
The man who crossed entire cities just because he thought I wasn't feeling well.
The man who stayed awake through my heat cycle when he could have easily walked away.
The man who loved me.
The realization grounded me.
Of course he loved me.
What was I even worried about?
By the time the call ended, I felt almost embarrassed.
Embarrassed that I had spent an entire day overthinking.
Embarrassed that a few photographs had managed to get under my skin.
Embarrassed that I had even allowed myself to wonder.
I placed my phone on the nightstand and lay down.
The room felt less lonely now.
Less cold.
Less empty.
Because talking to Diamant always had that effect.
I smiled softly to myself.
See?
Everything was fine.
I trusted him.
And he trusted me.
That was enough.
It had to be enough.
As I closed my eyes, sleep finally began to pull me under.
But somewhere deep inside my mind...
Buried beneath logic.
Buried beneath trust.
Buried beneath reason.
A tiny question remained.
If the photographs meant nothing...
Then why had someone gone through so much trouble to send them?
And more importantly...
Who was the woman standing beside Diamant Reed?
The thought lingered long after sleep claimed me.
Like a seed quietly taking root beneath the soil.
Waiting.
Growing.
Patient.