Page 57 of Once in a Lifetime, Part 2

Later, he slid into the jacuzzi, hoping the heat would quiet his mind. It didn’t.

His phone started ringing. Ody’s name lit up the screen. Mano grabbed a towel, dried his hands and just looked at the screen, letting it ring.

What was he supposed to say? That he wasn’t okay? That everything felt like it was collapsing again?

The ringing stopped.

A second later, another message came through. Call me when you can… or just text me. I just want to know you’re okay

Mano exhaled, setting the phone aside without replying.

By morning, he was already dressed. A crisp white shirt, one button undone. Black blazer, black pants.

His phone lit up again. Ody’s name flashed across the screen, incoming video call. Mano stilled, then answered, holding the phone at arm’s length.

Ody shot upright. “You answered!” Relief rushed through him. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m heading to the meeting,” Mano said, his tone flat.

Ody’s eyes searched his face, concern flickering, then softening into something else. “You look… really handsome. Wow…”

“I need to go. Do you need something?”

The shift was immediate. Ody’s expression changed. “Why didn’t you text me back? Did something happen?”

Mano’s jaw flexed. “I don’t have time for this, Ody.” He ended the call, but not before catching the way Ody’s face fell.

The past wouldn’t leave him alone. The day his parents died. The day his brother walked away. Everything that followed. All of it pressed against his chest, heavy and suffocating. He just wanted it to stop.

The company building was exactly as he remembered. Cold. Expensive. Impressive in a way that felt hollow. He walked through it like he belonged there, even though none of it reached him. Employees greeted him as he passed. He acknowledged them with a nod, nothing more.

Outside the conference room, a woman in a tight black skirt and pale blue blouse stood up. “Welcome, Mr. Jones. Can I get you something?”

“Freddo espresso. Medium.” Without slowing, he slid the glass door open.

Every head turned. Mano didn’t look at any of them, he just walked straight to an empty seat and sat.

“Long time no see, Mano,” a gray-haired man said.

“How’ve you been?” a blond man added.

“Fine.” He adjusted his blazer, already opening the folder in front of him.

“Your brother’s not here yet,” the older man said.

“I can see that.”

Silence stretched across the table.

“Remind me… how old are you?”

Mano’s gaze snapped up, sharp. “Twenty-three. How old are you, sixty-three?”

The tension hit instantly.

The gray-haired man’s expression hardened. “You’re never around. I don’t blame you for not knowing my age. You only bother showing up when you have to.”

“I’m here for my brother’s sake. If that’s a problem, take it up with him.”