Page 108 of The Substitute Fiancée

“I know. I’m sorry,” he says.

“You don’t have to apologize,” I say gently. “It’s a difficult period for both of us. I’m going to head home now. We’ll see each other after the IPO.”

He walks me back to my place.

Neither of us speaks. The weight of everything we’re not saying fills the space between us.

And when the moment comes to say goodbye, he kisses me with the force of desperation. His hands tremble slightly against my face.

“Why do I have this feeling that I’m losing you?” he murmurs, his forehead pressed against mine.

His voice breaks on the last word. And for a second, I consider going back with him, telling him everything’s going to be fine, that we’ll make it through.

But I refuse to lie to us. We deserve better than that.

“You’re not losing me. It’s just time to catch our breath and put some order back in our lives, so we can find each other again.”

He kisses me one last time.

“Goodbye, Sam. I miss you already.”

“You too.”

And as I close the door behind him, a question forces itself on me: is what we’re going through temporary… or a pattern destined to repeat itself?

Will we find our way back to each other, or will this distance keep growing until there’s nothing left?

35. Initial Public Offering

Alexander

I wake up with a mix of excitement and apprehension that knots my stomach.

Today is the big day. MatchMapping’s IPO.

Seven years of work.

Thousands of hours.

Sleepless nights.

Sacrifices no one sees.

Everything converges on this single day.

The past few days have been grueling. I’ve barely slept, running on coffee and adrenaline. My body is protesting, but today, I don’t have the right to be tired.

At 6:30 a.m., I’m already in the shower. The scorching water slides over my skin without managing to dissolve the tension locking my shoulders. I get dressed carefully: a tailored navy-blue suit, white shirt, silk tie.

In the car, Gilles watches me in the rearview mirror.

“Big day, sir.”

“Yes, Gilles. Big day.”

I scroll through the projections on my tablet. Interview notes. Key messages for investors. Expected opening price. Volumes. Valuation. The numbers overlap, blur together.

Notifications keep coming in.