Rise of the Banished She-Wolf (Evelyn) novel Chapter 58

**Where Falling Leaves Whisper Stories Written In Silence by Ryn Jace Reed**

Ethan’s expression was a mix of frustration and resignation, and for a moment, I could see the wheels turning in his mind, contemplating a rebuttal. Yet, instead of launching into an argument, he relented with a reluctant nod. “Alright,” he said, his tone even. “Send me what you have, and I’ll take a look. But I need you to promise me one thing: don’t make any decisions without running them by me first.”

I held back my instinct to promise him anything; I could sense he was aware of my silence. With a heavy sigh, he glanced at his watch, the urgency of his schedule evident in his posture. “I have a meeting across town. Are you going to be alright here by yourself?”

I couldn’t help but remind him, “I’ve been alone for three years, Ethan. I think I can handle a few hours.” My voice was steady, but inside, I felt a flicker of uncertainty.

Once Ethan left, I turned my attention to the task ahead: organizing my equipment for shipment to Seattle. The evening unfolded like a quiet ritual as I meticulously packed my tools, each item representing a piece of my journey. I reached out to Aiden, who had been my lifeline in setting up my new lab space at Devon’s building.

“How’s the setup coming along?” I asked, balancing the phone between my ear and shoulder while labeling boxes with precise care.

“Almost there,” Aiden replied, his voice crackling slightly through the line. “The security system is top-notch. Honestly, not even I could hack into it easily.”

I chuckled at his compliment, feeling a sense of camaraderie. “That’s high praise coming from you, Aiden. Any updates on the test version of the game?”

“Just sent it to your email,” he said. “The graphics are impressive, but the AI response time needs a little tweaking.”

I made a mental note to dive into it later. “I’ll check it out tonight,” I assured him before ending the call.

As I returned to my packing, my phone buzzed with a text from Devon:

*How’s Portland? Stay safe. I’ll come find you when I’m done here.*

A smile crept onto my lips as I typed back, *Don’t worry, no arguments with anyone here. Yet.*

His reply was swift: *Keep it that way. I’ll be there as soon as I wrap things up. Miss you.*

Three simple words, yet they sent a rush of warmth through me, igniting a flutter in my chest that I couldn’t quite explain. I set my phone down, momentarily at a loss for how to respond, my thoughts swirling with emotions I had tried to keep at bay.

Back at my apartment, I found myself on the phone with Ethan once more, discussing recovery strategies for the misappropriated funds.

“We need to act quickly but discreetly,” I insisted, my voice steady as I paced the room. “If word gets out before we recover the assets, our corporate partners might panic and back out of crucial deals.”

“I understand the urgency,” Ethan replied, his voice calm yet concerned, “but—”

Before he could finish, a knock at the door interrupted our conversation. “Someone’s here. I’ll call you back,” I said, cutting the call abruptly.

Without thinking, I opened the door, and the moment it swung wide, my heart sank—a foolish oversight on my part. If William knew I had been so careless, I could only imagine the lecture that awaited me. But my heart nearly stopped when I saw Devon standing there, his tall frame filling the doorway, his blue eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine.

Before I could utter a word, he stepped forward, pushing me gently back into the apartment. With a swift motion, he kicked the door shut behind him, turned the lock, and then his hands were cradling my face, his touch both grounding and electrifying.

“I missed you,” he growled, his voice low and rough, laced with an emotion I couldn’t quite name but felt deep within my core.