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She Caught Her Best Friend With Her Billionaire Husband—By the Time He Realized, She Took Everything — Transcript

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0:00The voicemail notification was the only
0:02sound in the suffocating silence of his
0:04penthouse. Julian Vance stared at the
0:07empty space where a ridiculous chipped
0:10"World's Best Friend" mug used to be.
0:13It was gone.
0:15She was gone.
0:16For 20 years, Ilara Hayes had been his
0:19North Star, the only fixed point in his
0:23chaotic billionaire life. And for 20
0:26years, he had been a blind fool. He'd
0:29finally opened his eyes, ready to tell
0:32her everything.
0:33But all he found was a letter on his
0:35desk and a silence that screamed her
0:38name.
0:39>> [clears throat]
0:40>> He was too late.
0:42Julian Vance didn't just live, he
0:44conquered.
0:45At 34, his name was etched onto
0:48skyscrapers, his company, Vance
0:51Dynamics, dictated the flow of global
0:53markets, and his face was a permanent
0:56fixture on the covers of Forbes and
0:59Fortune. He was a man who understood
1:01algorithms, hostile takeovers, and the
1:04precise cold logic of a nine-figure
1:07deal.
1:08What he did not understand, not really,
1:11was people.
1:13Except for Ilara. Ilara Hayes was the
1:16quiet algorithm that ran in the
1:18background of his life, ensuring he
1:20didn't crash.
1:22She was the one who remembered his
1:24mother's birthday.
1:26She was the one who could walk into his
1:28glass-walled office past his terrified
1:31but respectful assistant Clara and place
1:33a cup of black coffee on his desk
1:35without a word, knowing he'd skipped
1:38lunch again.
1:39They'd been best friends since freshman
1:42year of college, long before the
1:44billionaire label. He was just Julian,
1:47the intense computer science major. And
1:50she was Eli, the art history student who
1:54argued with him about data versus
1:56beauty. Their friendship was forged in
1:59late-night study sessions, cheap pizza,
2:02and a shared unspoken understanding.
2:05Now, their lives were different.
2:08Elara ran a small, struggling, but
2:10critically acclaimed art gallery in
2:12downtown New York.
2:14Julian ran
2:15well, everything else.
2:18"You're staring again, Eli." Julian
2:21murmured, not looking up from his phone.
2:24They were at their weekly standing
2:25non-meeting.
2:27A Friday breakfast at a tiny diner he'd
2:29had to buy out just to ensure their
2:31privacy.
2:33Elara blinked, a blush creeping up her
2:35neck. She'd been tracing the stress
2:37lines around his eyes.
2:39"You look exhausted, Julian. Did you
2:41even sleep?"
2:43"Sleep is an inefficient data transfer."
2:46he quipped, finally pocketing the
2:48device. He gave her his full attention,
2:51and as always, it felt like the sun
2:53coming out.
2:54"Now, tell me,
2:56did David Chen ever sign the consignment
2:58papers for his new exhibit?"
3:01She nodded. "He did."
3:03"Thanks to you."
3:05"I didn't do anything."
3:07"You casually mentioned his work to the
3:09curator of the MoMA at that charity
3:11gala."
3:12"Don't lie, Julian. Your fingerprints
3:14are all over it."
3:16"I just
3:18nudge things." he said with a small
3:20smile.
3:22"You're the one who makes them happen.
3:24You're the constant, Eli. You know that,
3:27right? The only real thing in this
3:29entire city."
3:32Elara's heart did a familiar, painful
3:34squeeze.
3:36A constant.
3:37A thing.
3:38Not the woman he loved. Not the woman he
3:41could love. For 12 years, she had been
3:44silently, hopelessly in love with her
3:46best friend. She had watched him date a
3:49parade of supermodels, actresses, and
3:52heiresses, all of whom looked at him
3:54like a prize to be won.
3:56>> [clears throat]
3:56>> None of them saw him. None of them knew
3:59he was terrified of thunderstorms, or
4:01that he hummed 80s pop songs when he was
4:04coding.
4:05But this time it was different.
4:08This time it was serious.
4:11Her name was Isabella Sinclair.
4:14Isabella was not a model or an actress.
4:17She was an heiress to a rival corporate
4:19dynasty, Sinclair Consolidated.
4:22Their relationship wasn't a romance, it
4:25was a merger.
4:26She was beautiful, sharp, and carved
4:29from ice.
4:31She looked at Julian not as a man, but
4:33as an equal in power.
4:35And she approved.
4:37Speaking of which, Julian said, his tone
4:40shifting. Becoming the CEO, Isabella's
4:43hosting an engagement party end of the
4:45month at the penthouse.
4:47Elara felt the coffee turn to acid in
4:49her stomach.
4:50Oh,
4:51wow, that's
4:53fast.
4:54No point in waiting. The markets like
4:56the stability. The board is thrilled.
5:00And you?
5:00Elara asked, her voice smaller than she
5:03intended.
5:04Are you thrilled, Julian?
5:06Julian paused. He looked out the diner
5:09window, his expression unreadable.
5:12Isabella is
5:13a perfect partner.
5:15She understands the demands of my world.
5:18She doesn't need me to be anything other
5:20than what I am. It's
5:22logical.
5:23Logical.
5:25Elara wanted to scream. Love wasn't
5:28logical. Love was messy and painful and
5:31showing up with soup when he had the flu
5:34and knowing his coffee order by heart.
5:36Well, she said, forcing a smile that
5:39felt like broken glass. Congratulations.
5:43Thanks, Eli.
5:45He reached across the table, covering
5:47her hand with his.
5:48His touch was warm, familiar, and
5:51utterly platonic.
5:53It was agonizing.
5:55In fact, I was hoping you could help.
5:58Isabella is handling the major
5:59logistics, but
6:01you know me.
6:02I wanted to have some heart.
6:05I need you to,
6:06you know,
6:07run interference.
6:09Make sure it doesn't feel like a
6:11corporate takeover.
6:13She stared at their hands. He was asking
6:16her to plan the celebration of his
6:17marriage to another woman
6:20because she was his constant. "Of
6:22course, Julian." Elara whispered,
6:25pulling her hand back.
6:27What are best friends for?
6:30The next 2 weeks were a special kind of
6:32hell. Elara's Perspective, which usually
6:36felt like her sanctuary, now felt like a
6:38holding cell.
6:40She spent her days coordinating with
6:42vendors for Julian's party and her
6:44nights staring at the ceiling, her chest
6:47hollow.
6:48Her meetings with Isabella were
6:50exercises in polite, venomous warfare.
6:54"The peonies, Elara." Isabella said, not
6:57looking up from her tablet. They were in
6:59Julian's cavernous, sterile, white
7:02penthouse, which overlooked Central
7:04Park.
7:05"They are far too pink. It suggests a
7:09childishness, don't you think?
7:11We'll go with white orchids."
7:13"Only white?"
7:15"Julian always said he liked peonies."
7:18Elara offered weakly.
7:20"He said they reminded him of his
7:22mother's garden."
7:24Isabella finally looked at her. Her eyes
7:26were a pale, arctic blue.
7:29"Julian isn't marrying his mother, dear.
7:32He's solidifying an empire. This party
7:34is the first press release. It needs to
7:37reflect strength, not sentiment."
7:40She smiled, a thin, sharp expression.
7:44"But thank you for your input. It's so
7:47quaint. That's why Julian keeps you
7:49around, isn't it? For the quaint?"
7:52Every word was a perfectly aimed dart.
7:56Elara realized Isabella didn't see her
7:58as a romantic rival. That would imply
8:01Elara was even on her level.
8:04No.
8:05Isabella saw her as the hired help, a
8:08sentimental pet Julian hadn't yet had
8:10the heart to put down. The only bright
8:13spot in the entire process was Mark.
8:17Mark Peterson was the head chef for the
8:20catering company Isabella had hired and
8:22Ilara had vetoed, only to be overruled.
8:26He had a kind, crinkled smile and flour
8:30was permanently dusted on his black
8:32chef's jacket. He'd found Ilara in the
8:34pantry, blinking back furious tears
8:37after Isabella had dismissed her
8:39arrangement of photographs, pictures of
8:41Julian growing up, as clutter.
8:45"Tough crowd?" Mark asked, offering her
8:48a perfectly crafted miniature quiche.
8:51Ilara laughed, a watery, broken sound.
8:54"You have no idea." "Oh, I think I do."
8:58He said, leaning against the shelf.
9:00"I've catered for Isabella Sinclair
9:02before. She once sent back a $2,000
9:05wheel of Parmesan because she didn't
9:08like its energy."
9:10Ilara snorted, the laugh turning real.
9:14"Its energy?"
9:15"Some things are too powerful, I guess."
9:17He grinned. "I'm Mark." "Ilara." "The
9:21best friend, I've heard." He said, but
9:24his tone was gentle, not mocking. "Look,
9:27I saw those photos. They were great. He
9:30was a dorky kid." "He really was." She
9:33whispered, a genuine smile touching her
9:36lips. "She's making a mistake in not
9:38using them." Mark said, his eyes
9:41serious. "A party isn't for the press,
9:44it's for the people. You were trying to
9:46show them him." He [clears throat]
9:48tapped the side of his head. "You get
9:50it. She doesn't."
9:52For the first time in weeks, Ilara felt
9:55seen.
9:57The night of the party arrived. Ilara
10:00wore a simple, elegant, dark green
10:02dress, the color Julian always said
10:05brought out her eyes. It felt like a
10:07small, sad act of defiance.
10:11The penthouse was unrecognizable.
10:13It was filled with white orchids, ice
10:16sculptures, and a string quartet playing
10:19something cold and complex.
10:21It was, as Isabella intended, a press
10:24release.
10:26She watched Julian move through the
10:28room, a king in his court.
10:31He was flawless in a custom Tom Ford
10:33suit, with Isabella a glittering
10:36diamond-encrusted statue by his side.
10:39He finally spotted Alara by the terrace
10:41door, nursing a glass of champagne.
10:44His face lit up with that real,
10:47unguarded smile that she so rarely saw
10:50anymore.
10:51Eli, there you are.
10:53He strode over, pulling her into a
10:55one-armed hug.
10:57He smelled like expensive cologne and
11:00power.
11:01It looks incredible. This is all you. I
11:04knew you'd save it.
11:05Isabella did most of the work. Alara
11:08said, her voice tight.
11:11Nah, he dismissed. She handled the guest
11:14list. You gave it this.
11:16He gestured vaguely.
11:18The feel.
11:19It feels right.
11:21Alara wanted to cry. It felt wrong. It
11:24was cold, sterile, and had none of him
11:27in it. He was so busy, so blinded by the
11:30logic of his merger, that he couldn't
11:33even see his own party.
11:35Later, she slipped onto the terrace for
11:37air. The New York skyline glittered,
11:40but it felt distant.
11:42She heard voices from the other side of
11:44a large potted plant. Julian and
11:47Isabella.
11:49A bit much, don't you think? Isabella's
11:51sharp voice cut through the night.
11:54What do you mean?
11:55It was a toast. Mr. Harrison has known
11:58me for years.
12:00He was rambling, Julian. And frankly,
12:03bringing up your time at college makes
12:05you sound
12:06new.
12:08We are not new.
12:10It's just part of my story, Isa.
12:12It's a part we need to phase out, just
12:15like your little project.
12:18Elara's stomach clenched. She knew what
12:21was coming. "Don't call her that."
12:23Julian's voice was low. "Elara is not a
12:26project. She's my best friend."
12:29"Oh, Julian, please." Isabella sighed, a
12:32sound of profound boredom.
12:34"She's your mascot, your security
12:37blanket. It was cute when you were
12:39building the company, but it's becoming
12:41unprofessional.
12:43People talk. They wonder why this little
12:46gallery curator is always hovering.
12:49It makes you look weak, like you
12:50[snorts] need a crutch."
12:52Elara held her breath, praying for
12:55Julian to defend her, to tell Isabella
12:58where to go.
12:59There was a long silence. The wind
13:01whistled 1,000 ft above the city.
13:05"She's
13:06family, Isa." Julian finally said,
13:09but his voice was tired, defeated.
13:12"She's just Elara. She's harmless. She's
13:15not part of the business. She's
13:18separate.
13:19Don't worry about her."
13:21Harmless, just Elara, not a threat, not
13:25a woman, not even a person, really.
13:27Just a thing, a security blanket, a
13:31crutch, and he hadn't even denied it. He
13:34just dismissed her.
13:36Elara didn't realize she was crying
13:39until a warm hand touched her arm.
13:42It was Mark. He was holding a plate with
13:44a single, perfect chocolate-covered
13:47strawberry.
13:48He didn't say anything.
13:50He just looked at her,
13:52his eyes full of a sad understanding
13:54she'd never once received from Julian.
13:58She took the strawberry, her hand
13:59shaking.
14:01That was it.
14:03The last thread of hope, which she
14:05hadn't even known she was still clinging
14:07to, finally snapped. The week after the
14:10party, Elara Hayes ceased to exist, at
14:14least for Julian. She didn't answer his
14:16calls, which went from cheerful, "Eli,
14:19breakfast, my treat."
14:21to confused, "Are you getting these?
14:23Call me."
14:24to annoyed, "Alara, I need the final
14:27invoices for the caterer. This is
14:29unprofessional."
14:31She didn't answer his texts. She didn't
14:33show up at the diner.
14:35For Alara, it was a week of painful,
14:38necessary amputation.
14:41Every missed call from him was a fresh
14:43cut, but it was a cut that severed a
14:45limb that had been slowly dying for 12
14:48years.
14:50She had walked home from the party that
14:51night, ignoring Mark's offer of a ride.
14:55She needed the cold 3:00 a.m. air to
14:57clear her head.
14:59Harmless.
15:00Just Alara.
15:02She had let herself into her small,
15:04bright apartment, the apartment Julian
15:07had helped her secure a loan for,
15:10and looked at her life.
15:12It was filled with him.
15:14The bookshelf he'd built, the abstract
15:16painting he'd bought from her first ever
15:18show, long before he was rich,
15:21the framed photo on her nightstand, the
15:24two of them,
15:2520 years old, covered in mud after a
15:28rain-soaked football game,
15:30him with his arm slung over her
15:32shoulder,
15:33both of them laughing.
15:36She had loved him for so long, it had
15:38become part of her personality.
15:41She had structured her life, her
15:43gallery, her home, around being
15:46available for him.
15:48She was the anchor,
15:49the constant.
15:51But an anchor doesn't get to move. It
15:53just holds the ship, and the ship gets
15:56to sail away.
15:58Isabella wasn't the problem. Isabella
16:00was just a symptom.
16:01Julian was the problem.
16:04His blindness, his casual, devastating
16:07dismissal of her.
16:09On Monday, she'd gone to her gallery and
16:12called an emergency meeting with her two
16:14staff members.
16:16On Tuesday, she'd had a video call with
16:18a collective in Portland, Oregon. One
16:21that had been trying to poach her for
16:22months.
16:24On Wednesday, she'd signed a contract.
16:27They wanted her to run their entire West
16:29Coast operation.
16:31It was a massive step up. It was
16:33terrifying.
16:35It was exactly what she needed.
16:37On Thursday, she met Mark for coffee.
16:40"So," he said, handing her a latte.
16:44"You're running away."
16:45"I'm not running," Elara said,
16:48bristling.
16:49"I'm
16:50accepting a better offer."
16:51"In Portland, 3,000 miles away.
16:55Right after your best friend's
16:56engagement party. That's not running.
16:59It's
17:00strategic relocation," she tried.
17:03Mark just smiled, that same kind,
17:06knowing smile.
17:08"Elara, it's okay. Sometimes you have to
17:11run to save your own life."
17:13He leaned forward. "My question is, what
17:15about us?"
17:17Elara looked at him, truly looked at
17:19him.
17:20He was handsome in a rugged, gentle way.
17:23He was kind. He saw her. He wasn't
17:26complicated by billions of dollars and a
17:29fiance carved from marble.
17:32"Mark, I'm a mess," she whispered. "My
17:35heart is
17:36it's a structural write-off."
17:39"I'm a patient guy," he said.
17:41"And I'm a good cook.
17:43And as it happens, my cousin owns a
17:45restaurant in Portland that's been
17:47looking for a new executive chef."
17:49Elara's eyes widened.
17:52"You're
17:53you're not serious."
17:55"I'm very serious. I don't like my
17:57energy being criticized."
17:59He grinned. "And I really, really like
18:02you.
18:03I'm not Julian, Elara. I won't be blind.
18:06Just think about it.
18:08No pressure. I'm just
18:10putting my data out there."
18:12The casual use of Julian's language, but
18:15with so much more warmth, almost broke
18:17her again.
18:19On Friday, 1 week after the party,
18:22she packed.
18:24She sold her gallery to her assistant,
18:26who would keep its spirit alive.
18:29She packed her clothes, her books, and
18:31her art supplies.
18:33She took the framed photo of her and
18:35Julian from her nightstand, looked at it
18:37for a long, agonizing minute,
18:40and then gently placed it in a box.
18:43She couldn't throw it away,
18:45but she couldn't look at it, either.
18:47Her final stop was Julian's penthouse.
18:50She still had a key.
18:52She let herself in, her heart pounding.
18:56The apartment was silent,
18:58cold.
19:00All the white orchids were gone,
19:02replaced with nothing. She walked to his
19:04massive, sleek desk. She pulled out a
19:07single sheet of her own personal
19:09stationery, thick, cream-colored paper.
19:12Her hand was shaking.
19:15What could she say?
19:16"I'm leaving because you broke my heart.
19:19I'm leaving because I love you."
19:21No.
19:23He wouldn't understand that.
19:25He'd see it as emotional,
19:27illogical.
19:28She had to speak his language.
19:31She wrote, "Julian, you've always called
19:33me your constant, your anchor.
19:37But the thing about an anchor is that
19:39it's designed to be left behind on the
19:41seabed when the ship decides to sail.
19:45You are sailing,
19:46and I am so happy for you,
19:49but I can't be your anchor anymore.
19:52I'm not just Elara.
19:54I'm not a security blanket. I'm a
19:57person,
19:58and I need to build a life of my own,
20:01one that isn't just an extension of
20:03yours.
20:04I've taken a position in Portland. It's
20:06a huge opportunity.
20:08I'm leaving tonight. Please don't try to
20:11find me.
20:12Don't nudge this.
20:13This is my decision.
20:15I need to do this for me.
20:17Be happy, Julian.
20:19Truly.
20:20Goodbye, Elara."
20:22She folded it.
20:23On the corner of his desk sat the
20:25ridiculous chipped world's best friend
20:28mug she'd given him as a joke 10 years
20:30ago. He still used it every single
20:33morning.
20:34She picked it up.
20:35This
20:36she couldn't leave.
20:38It was a lie.
20:40She tucked it into her purse.
20:42She placed the letter in the exact
20:44center of his desk. She took her key to
20:46the penthouse off her key ring and laid
20:49it gently on top of the envelope.
20:51Then she walked out.
20:53She didn't look back.
20:55The door clicked shut with a terrible
20:57final sound.
21:00Julian Vance returned from a three-day
21:02hostile negotiation in Tokyo to an
21:05apartment that was, for the first time,
21:07exactly as he'd left it.
21:10Usually, Elara would have been there.
21:13She'd have known his flight, stocked his
21:16fridge with real food, and left a
21:18Post-it note on his monitor.
21:21Don't forget to call your mother, you
21:22heathen.
21:24But there was no Post-it. The fridge was
21:26empty, save for a bottle of alkaline
21:29water Isabella had left. And his mug was
21:32gone.
21:33He frowned, looking at the clean spot on
21:35his coffee maker.
21:37Clara! he yelled, forgetting his
21:40assistant wasn't there.
21:42He ran a hand through his hair,
21:43irritated. Where was Elara?
21:46She knew he had this trip.
21:48Then he saw the envelope on his desk. He
21:51recognized her elegant artistic script
21:53immediately.
21:55He tore it open, a strange dread coiling
21:58in his stomach. He read it.
22:00Once,
22:01twice,
22:02a third time. It didn't make sense.
22:05Portland?
22:07What
22:08What opportunity? he muttered.
22:10He pulled out his phone, his thumb
22:11hovering over her contact. Please don't
22:14try to find me.
22:15He ignored it.
22:17He called.
22:18The number you have dialed has been
22:19disconnected.
22:21A cold, sharp shock went through him.
22:24Disconnected?
22:26Not sent to voicemail.
22:27Disconnected.
22:29He immediately called his head of
22:30security, a man named Thomas.
22:34I need you to find Ilara Hayes. Find out
22:36where she is. Now.
22:39Sir. Now, Thomas.
22:41He paced the penthouse, the letter
22:42clenched in his fist. I'm not just
22:45Ilara. I'm not a security blanket.
22:48He stopped.
22:49Where had he heard that? His blood ran
22:52cold. The terrace, the party, Isabella.
22:55Your security blanket, it makes you look
22:57weak.
22:58Just Ilara. Harmless.
23:02Ilara had been on the terrace. She had
23:04heard.
23:05No, he whispered.
23:07No, no.
23:09No.
23:10She would have known I didn't mean.
23:12She would have known I was just handling
23:15Isabella.
23:17But even as he thought it, he knew it
23:19was a lie.
23:21He had dismissed her.
23:22He had used her loyalty as a shield, and
23:25in doing so, he had run her through.
23:28The secure line on his desk buzzed. It
23:30was Thomas.
23:32Mr. Vance, we have a problem. What is
23:35it? Did she fly to Portland? Which
23:37flight?
23:38We can't confirm any flights under her
23:40name, sir. Or trains, or car rentals.
23:44What are you saying? Julian snapped, his
23:47patience gone.
23:48Sir, as far as we can tell, Ms. Hayes
23:52has vanished. Her social security number
23:54hasn't been used. Her credit cards are
23:56inactive. Her gallery was sold two days
23:59ago in a private all-cash deal. She's
24:03gone.
24:05The word gone hit Julian like a physical
24:08blow. He wasn't a man who panicked. He
24:10was a man who solved. But this
24:14this was an equation he couldn't see.
24:16Find her, he ordered, his voice
24:19dangerously quiet. I don't care what it
24:21costs. I want a team on this. I want to
24:24know where she is.
24:26He hung up and stared at the empty space
24:28where his mug should have been.
24:30The silence of the penthouse was
24:32deafening. For the first time, Julian
24:34realized his high-tech billion-dollar
24:37home wasn't just quiet. It was empty.
24:40The next few weeks, Julian was a ghost.
24:44He was present in his board meetings,
24:46his voice sharper, his decisions more
24:49brutal than ever.
24:50He eviscerated a competitor, finalized
24:53the Sinclair merger details, and barely
24:56slept. But the entire time, the
24:58algorithm in the back of his head, the
25:01one that used to be dedicated to Ilara,
25:03was running a frantic [clears throat]
25:05looping error code.
25:07Not found.
25:09Not found.
25:10Not found.
25:12Isabella moved more of her things into
25:14the penthouse, seemingly thrilled to
25:17have Ilara out of the picture.
25:20"Isn't this better, darling?" She
25:21murmured one night, running a manicured
25:23nail down his chest.
25:25No more
25:26distractions. Just us.
25:29Just power.
25:31Julian looked at her.
25:33He really looked at her.
25:35He saw the cold calculation. He saw the
25:38triumph in her eyes. She hadn't just
25:40been annoyed by Ilara. She had hated
25:43her.
25:45"What did you say to her, Isabella?" He
25:47asked, his voice flat.
25:49"Whatever do you mean?"
25:51"At the party or after?"
25:54"What did you say to Ilara?"
25:56Isabella sat up, her silk robe falling
25:59open.
26:00"I simply pointed out the obvious,
26:01Julian. That her little girl crush on
26:04you was pathetic, and that her time as
26:06your shadow was over.
26:08She was dragging you down. You should be
26:10thanking me.
26:12She finally took the hint and
26:14disappeared."
26:15Crush?
26:16The word felt strange.
26:19Ilara, a crush on him, he thought back.
26:24For 12 years, the way she always knew
26:26what he needed, the way her eyes lit up
26:29when he really talked to her,
26:31The way she'd flinched when he
26:32introduced his dates, the green dress at
26:35the party.
26:36He had been so profoundly,
26:38catastrophically stupid. He'd assumed
26:41she was like him.
26:42That their friendship was the primary,
26:44most important bond. And romance was
26:48a separate, secondary pursuit.
26:51"Get out." He said. Isabella laughed.
26:54"What? Don't be dramatic, Julian. The
26:57wedding is in 2 months. The contracts
26:59are signed. Get out!" He roared,
27:03standing up. He was a terrifying sight.
27:06All his suppressed fury finally
27:09unleashed.
27:10"The wedding is off.
27:12The merger is off.
27:13I will spend the next 10 years of my
27:16life dismantling your father's company
27:18piece by piece if you are not out of
27:21this apartment in 10 minutes."
27:23She saw he wasn't bluffing.
27:25Her face, for the first time, showed
27:28genuine shock, quickly followed by a
27:31cold, reptilian fury.
27:34"You're throwing this all away?" She
27:36hissed. "For her? The little brown mouse
27:39who ran away?
27:41She's worth more than this entire
27:43building, Isabella.
27:45More than your company and mine
27:47combined.
27:48And I was too blind to see it. Now get
27:51out."
27:52She left, slamming the door so hard a
27:55priceless vase vibrated on its pedestal.
27:59Julian was alone. He had destroyed his
28:01engagement, threatened a
28:03multi-billion-dollar merger, and
28:05alienated his board.
28:07And he didn't care.
28:09He walked to his desk. He had to find
28:11her. He had to tell her. Tell her
28:14what? I'm sorry, I'm an idiot. I love
28:17you.
28:18The words felt foreign, but terrifyingly
28:21true.
28:22He loved her. He hadn't just relied on
28:25her. He loved her.
28:27It was the core, foundational code of
28:30his entire being.
28:32And he had been trying to run his life
28:34on a corrupted operating system.
28:37He slumped into his chair. He looked at
28:39the letter still on his desk.
28:42She was already gone.
28:45No,
28:46he whispered to the empty room.
28:48I'll find her.
28:50Julian Vance, for the first time in his
28:52life, was failing.
28:54A month had passed since Elara vanished.
28:57His private security team, the best in
29:00the world, had hit a brick wall. Elara
29:03Hayes had liquidated her assets, closed
29:06her accounts, and walked out of her
29:08apartment with one suitcase and a box.
29:12She had effectively ceased to exist on
29:15any traceable grid.
29:17"She's using cash, sir." Thomas
29:19reported, his face grim.
29:22"And she's not using her own name. She
29:24had this planned. This was a
29:26professional-level disappearance."
29:28"Keep looking." Julian ordered.
29:31"Check every art collective, every
29:33gallery, every art school in the
29:35country.
29:36She can't hide forever."
29:38But he was starting to believe she
29:39could.
29:40His life, once so structured, was in
29:44free fall.
29:45The broken engagement with Isabella had
29:47become a messy public war.
29:50Isabella, true to her nature, wasn't
29:52going quietly.
29:54She was leaking strategic information to
29:56the press, attacking Vance Dynamics on
29:59every front. Julian was in damage
30:01control 24/7, sleeping in his office,
30:05living on the stale coffee he now had to
30:07get for himself.
30:08He missed Elara with a physical ache.
30:11He missed her quiet presence, her
30:13stubborn refusal to be impressed by his
30:16wealth, her laugh.
30:18He missed his best friend.
30:21One night, drowning in legal depositions
30:23and SEC filings related to the Sinclair
30:26fallout, he was desperately searching
30:28for an old file on his home server.
30:31He typed in a keyword, project anchor.
30:34It was an old college project folder.
30:37He clicked it and a file opened.
30:40It wasn't a program. It was a journal
30:42entry he'd written his junior year after
30:45a brutal fight with his father.
30:48Date, April 11th, 2011.
30:52Father says I need to find a partner who
30:54matches my station.
30:56Someone with connections. I hate that. I
31:00don't want someone who matches. I want
31:02someone who balances. I want someone
31:05who's real. Someone who doesn't care
31:08about the money if I ever make any.
31:11Someone who will call me an idiot to my
31:14face.
31:15Someone who listens to that weird indie
31:17music and talks about colors like
31:20they're flavors.
31:22Someone who feels like home.
31:25Someone who feels constant. An anchor.
31:29Julian stared at the screen. He had
31:31written that. He had known even then.
31:35He had described Ilara detail for detail
31:38and then he had named the file project
31:41anchor.
31:42He leaned back, his head spinning. He'd
31:45spent the last 12 years building an
31:47empire all while forgetting the entire
31:50point. His private line rang.
31:53It was Thomas.
31:54Sir,
31:56we found something. It's
31:57not good.
31:59Where is she? Julian demanded sitting
32:02bolt upright.
32:04We don't know.
32:05But we found out why she left. It wasn't
32:07just the party. You need to see this.
32:10I'm sending a file to your secure
32:12server.
32:13A new window popped up. It was an audio
32:16file.
32:17Source, covert surveillance, Ilara
32:20Hayes's gallery, perspective.
32:23Date,
32:243 days after the engagement party.
32:27Julian's blood chilled.
32:30Thomas had bugged her?
32:31No, he'd have been pulling surveillance
32:33around her.
32:35He clicked play.
32:36He heard Ilara's voice, hesitant.
32:39I don't understand.
32:41What do you mean?
32:43Financial irregularities.
32:45Then,
32:46a voice he didn't recognize,
32:48male,
32:49smooth.
32:50I mean, Ms. Hayes, that your largest
32:52donor, a shell corporation that traces
32:54back to Vance Dynamics, has been, let's
32:57say, overly generous.
33:00And the IRS is now very, very interested
33:04in why a small gallery is receiving such
33:06large, untraceable donations.
33:09It looks for all the world like a
33:11classic money laundering scheme.
33:15Julian's heart stopped.
33:17He had been funding her gallery
33:18anonymously.
33:20He'd used a shell company to make sure
33:22she never knew.
33:23He'd wanted her to succeed, but on her
33:25own terms, without feeling like it was a
33:28handout.
33:29Alara's voice was thin with panic.
33:33Laundering? That's insane. I would never
33:36Of course not, the man's voice soothed.
33:40But the paper trail is ugly,
33:43and it all leads back to your best
33:45friend,
33:46Julian Vance.
33:48If this gets out, he'll be investigated,
33:50the Sinclair merger will collapse, the
33:53stock will tank. It will ruin him.
33:56What?
33:57What do you want? Alara whispered.
34:00This investigation is currently private,
34:03the man said. The Sinclairs initiated
34:05it. They're thorough.
34:08They see you as a liability, a loose
34:10end.
34:12Isabella,
34:13Alara breathed.
34:15I'm just the messenger.
34:17They are prepared to make this go public
34:19unless you're no longer a factor.
34:22They want you gone, Ms. Hayes, far away
34:24from Julian Vance. They have
34:27facilitated a job offer in Portland. You
34:31will take it. You will change your name,
34:33your number, and you will never, ever
34:36contact Julian Vance again.
34:38>> [clears throat]
34:39>> If you do, or if he finds you,
34:42this file goes straight to the Wall
34:44Street Journal.
34:45There was a long, terrible silence.
34:49Julian could hear the sound of Elara's
34:51ragged breathing.
34:53"And if I do this," she finally said,
34:55her voice hollow, "he'll be safe. You'll
34:58drop this this
35:00fake investigation?"
35:03"Completely," the man said. "He'll marry
35:06Isabella. The empire will be secure,
35:09and he will be safe from you."
35:12The audio file ended.
35:14Julian couldn't breathe. He sat in the
35:17dark, the city lights blurring through
35:19the window. She hadn't just left because
35:22he'd hurt her feelings.
35:24She had been blackmailed, extorted.
35:27She had been threatened with his ruin.
35:29She hadn't left him. She had left for
35:32him.
35:33She had sacrificed her entire life, her
35:35home, her friends, her name, to protect
35:39him and Isabella.
35:41This wasn't a jealous fiance. This was a
35:44sociopath.
35:45She hadn't just pushed Elara out. She
35:48had taken a scalpel and surgically,
35:50brutally cut her out of his life, using
35:53his own secret act of kindness, the
35:56anonymous donations, as the weapon.
35:59"I'm not just Elara. I'm not a security
36:02blanket."
36:04He looked at her letter, still on his
36:05desk, now memorized. It wasn't an angry
36:09letter. It was a decoy. It was a
36:12performance, written for him, but
36:14[clears throat] also for them.
36:16She knew they'd be watching.
36:18She'd had to write something that
36:20sounded like she was leaving on her own,
36:22to make her disappearance plausible.
36:25He finally, truly understood.
36:28He had been building a fortress of logic
36:31and wealth, and all it had done was make
36:33him a target. And Elara, the only thing
36:37he truly cared about, had become
36:39collateral damage.
36:41His grief turned, in an instant to a
36:44cold, diamond-hard rage.
36:48He was done failing.
36:49He was done being blind. He was done
36:52losing.
36:53He picked up the phone.
36:55Thomas,
36:56forget the Sinclair leaks. I want a new
36:58team. I want you to find a man.
37:01I have his voice.
37:03I want to know who he is, who he works
37:05for, and where Isabella Sinclair is
37:08right now.
37:09I'm not fighting a business war anymore.
37:12This is finished
37:14tonight.
37:15900 miles away in a rain-soaked,
37:18charming neighborhood in Portland,
37:20Oregon,
37:21Eliza Hayes was learning to breathe
37:23again.
37:24She had a new name,
37:26just a slight variation, as her
37:28blackmailer had suggested, to make it
37:30feel real.
37:32A new pixie haircut and a new job she
37:35was, to her surprise, exceptionally good
37:38at.
37:40Running the West Coast Collective was
37:42challenging. It used a part of her
37:44brain, the strategic, business-focused
37:47part, that had always taken a backseat
37:49to her role as Julian's friend.
37:53She had a small, bright apartment over a
37:55bookstore.
37:57It smelled like old paper and coffee.
38:00And for the first time in her adult
38:01life, it contained nothing of Julian's.
38:05Mark had kept his word.
38:07He'd arrived 2 weeks after she did,
38:10having secured the job at his cousin's
38:12restaurant. He hadn't pushed. He hadn't
38:15pressured. He'd simply shown up at her
38:17apartment with a homemade butternut
38:19squash soup and a loaf of fresh bread.
38:23Just
38:24neighbors,
38:25he'd said with that easy smile.
38:28Feeding the new arrival.
38:30It's the Oregon way.
38:32Slowly,
38:33carefully, they had started to build
38:36something.
38:37They explored the coast, hiked in the
38:39lush green forests, and spent evenings
38:42in him cooking, her sketching.
38:45He was the definition of safe.
38:47He was kind, consistent, and emotionally
38:51present.
38:52He looked at her like she was the only
38:53person in the room.
38:55He was everything Julian was not.
38:58She was healing.
39:00It was a slow, agonizing process.
39:04Some mornings she'd wake up, her hand
39:07reaching for her phone to call Julian
39:09about a dream she'd had, only for the
39:12cold, hard reality to come crashing
39:14down.
39:16She'd done the right thing.
39:18He was safe.
39:19She'd seen the news, of course.
39:22She couldn't help but look.
39:24She had a burner laptop she used at the
39:26public library.
39:28She'd seen the headlines, "Billionaire
39:30Merger of the Year, Vance
39:32[clears throat] and Sinclair to Wed."
39:35And then, weeks later, the shocking
39:37reversal, "Merger Implodes, Julian Vance
39:41Dumps Ice Queen Isabella."
39:43The articles were speculative, vicious.
39:46They painted Julian as erratic,
39:48unstable.
39:50They hinted at a mystery woman.
39:52They detailed the stock tumble and
39:54Isabella's public, furious retaliation.
39:58Elara had read it, her heart pounding in
40:01the quiet library.
40:03He was supposed to be safe. She had left
40:06so he would be stable,
40:08but he'd broken the engagement. He'd
40:10done the one thing she'd sacrificed
40:12everything to prevent.
40:14A selfish, terrible part of her had
40:17rejoiced.
40:18He hadn't married her.
40:20But a larger, more terrified part knew
40:23this was a disaster. Isabella wouldn't
40:25just be angry, she would be vengeful.
40:28She would use the information she had.
40:31She would ruin him. Elara
40:33[clears throat]
40:33had forced herself to shut the laptop.
40:36She couldn't interfere.
40:38Her job was to stay gone.
40:41Her reappearance would only confirm
40:43Isabella's threats.
40:44He was smart. He was Julian. He would
40:47fix it. He always did.
40:50She threw herself into her work and into
40:53Mark.
40:54Six months after her disappearance, Mark
40:56took her to the Oregon coast for the
40:58weekend.
40:59The winter sky was a bruised, dramatic
41:02gray, and the ocean was a churning,
41:05angry teal.
41:07They walked on the black sand beach,
41:09bundled in coats.
41:11"You're happy here, Eliza?" Mark asked,
41:14his voice low against the roar of the
41:16surf.
41:17"I am," she said.
41:19And she was surprised to find she meant
41:21it.
41:22It's
41:24good.
41:25You're good, Mark.
41:26He stopped, turning to face her. He took
41:28her gloved hands.
41:30"I love you, Elara."
41:32He'd used her real name.
41:34He'd never done that before.
41:36She looked up, her heart lurching.
41:39"I know."
41:40"I know you're not fully Eliza," he said
41:42gently.
41:43"I know you're still healing from
41:46him.
41:47But I'm not him.
41:48I'm here.
41:49And I love you.
41:50All of you.
41:52The broken parts, the just Elara parts,
41:55and the amazing, brilliant Eliza parts."
41:58Tears welled in her eyes, instantly cold
42:01in the wind.
42:02"Mark."
42:03"You don't have to say it back," he said
42:05quickly. "I just I needed you to know.
42:08I'm all in."
42:10He kissed her.
42:11It was a warm, solid, comforting kiss.
42:15It was shelter from the storm.
42:17It was safe.
42:19She kissed him back, clinging to him,
42:21wanting, needing to love him as much as
42:24he loved her.
42:26She pulled back, resting her forehead
42:28against his chest.
42:29"Thank you."
42:31she whispered.
42:32Maybe this was it.
42:34Maybe this was her new life.
42:36It wasn't the blazing, all-consuming
42:39fire she'd felt for Julian.
42:41But that fire had only ever burned her.
42:44This
42:45this was a warm, steady hearth.
42:49Julian Vance had dismantled Isabella
42:51Sinclair's life with the surgical
42:53precision of a demolitions expert.
42:56It hadn't taken long. The audio file
42:58from Thomas was the key.
43:00The man's voice belonged to a disgraced
43:02ex-SEC investigator turned private fixer
43:06named Arthur Bryant.
43:09Bryant, when presented with the
43:10recording and the threat of a lifetime
43:13in federal prison for extortion,
43:15confessed everything.
43:17He hadn't just been working for
43:18Isabella.
43:19He'd been working for her father, Mr.
43:22Sinclair.
43:23They had seen Ilara as a sentimental
43:26liability and had manufactured the
43:28entire money laundering threat to remove
43:31her, thus hardening Julian for the
43:34merger.
43:35Julian didn't go to the police. He went
43:37to the board. He played the audio for
43:39his own board of directors, then for the
43:42board of Sinclair Consolidated.
43:45The fallout was apocalyptic. Mr.
43:47Sinclair was ousted by his own company
43:49within 24 hours. Isabella was publicly
43:52censured and stripped of her
43:54inheritance.
43:56Vance Dynamics, regretfully, pulled out
43:59of the merger citing ethical breaches, a
44:03corporate speak atomic bomb.
44:06Julian's reputation, far from being
44:08ruined, was stronger than ever.
44:11He'd been painted as the victim of a
44:12corporate honey trap and his ruthless
44:15but ethical response had made his stock
44:18soar.
44:19He had won.
44:21But it was the emptiest victory of his
44:23life.
44:24He had the confession. He had the proof.
44:27He had everything except Ilara.
44:31Arthur Bryant didn't know where she'd
44:33gone.
44:34"The plan was just to make her run,"
44:36he'd said.
44:37"We didn't track her." So, Julian was
44:40back to square one. He knew why she was
44:43gone,
44:44but not where.
44:45The trail was 6 months cold. He was
44:48haunted. He'd walk into his penthouse,
44:51now scrubbed of every trace of Isabella,
44:54And the silence was an accusation.
44:57He poured all his resources, his entire
44:59being into the search. He hired data
45:03miners, forensic accountants, and PIs.
45:07"She's an art curator." He told his team
45:10pacing his office. "She can't just not
45:12be in the art world. Look for new hires,
45:15new faces.
45:17Look for a woman who matches her
45:18description using a new name."
45:21Weeks turned into a month. Then a
45:24breakthrough.
45:25A junior analyst on his team found a
45:28blog post from a small Portland gallery.
45:32It praised a new curator from their
45:33rival collective, a brilliant but
45:36reclusive woman named Eliza Hayes, who
45:39had an uncanny eye for new talent.
45:42The post included a grainy photo.
45:45It was her.
45:46Her hair was short,
45:48but it was her. Eliza.
45:51Of course.
45:52Julian felt his knees go weak. He was on
45:55his private jet within the hour.
45:57He landed in Portland in the middle of
45:59the worst winter storm the region had
46:01seen in a decade. Winds howled, and the
46:05rain was a horizontal sheet of ice.
46:08"Sir, the roads to the coast are
46:09closing." The pilot warned. "That's
46:12where this gallery collective is based."
46:15"We'll drive as far as we can, and I'll
46:17walk the rest." Julian said.
46:20He rented a heavy-duty 4x4 and drove
46:23into the teeth of the storm.
46:25It was a suicidal, insane drive.
46:28The wind slammed the truck, and trees
46:30were down everywhere.
46:33But he was a man possessed. He finally
46:35reached the small, flooded coastal town.
46:39The power was out. The streets were
46:41deserted. He found the gallery, Currents
46:44Collective.
46:46It was dark, boarded up against the
46:48storm. He found the address for Eliza
46:51Hayes.
46:52It was an apartment above a bookstore.
46:55He hammered on the door.
46:57No answer.
46:58He broke the lock. He didn't care.
47:01He ran up the stairs. The apartment was
47:03empty. It was neat, clean, and smelled
47:06like her.
47:08Lavender and turpentine. But she wasn't
47:10there.
47:11He saw a small notepad by the phone. A
47:14simple scribbled note.
47:16Coast trip. The Anchor Inn. Back Sunday.
47:20The Anchor Inn.
47:22He ran back to his truck. The inn was 10
47:25miles further up the coast on a
47:27precarious winding cliff road.
47:30The road was officially closed. He drove
47:32around the barrier. He had to abandon
47:35the truck a mile from the inn where a
47:37mudslide had taken out the road. He got
47:40out and ran.
47:42The wind tore at his thousand-dollar
47:44suit, drenching him in seconds.
47:47He was freezing, soaked, and he had
47:50never felt more alive.
47:52He burst into the small rustic lobby of
47:55the Anchor Inn. A fire roared in the
47:57hearth. There were only two people in
48:00the room standing by the window looking
48:02out at the monstrous waves. It was her
48:06and a man.
48:07>> [clears throat]
48:07>> The man had his arm around her waist.
48:10She was leaning her head on his
48:11shoulder.
48:12They looked
48:13content,
48:15safe.
48:16Julian's heart, which had been pounding
48:18with hope, shattered.
48:21He was too late.
48:22He wasn't just too late because she was
48:24gone.
48:25>> [clears throat]
48:25>> He was too late because she had been
48:27found by someone else.
48:29"Alara," he said. His voice was a broken
48:32croak.
48:33She froze. She turned slowly, her eyes
48:37widening in absolute terrified
48:39disbelief.
48:40"Julian."
48:41She looked different, stronger, but her
48:45eyes were still his. The man, Mark,
48:48immediately stepped in front of her,
48:50protective. "Who are you?" "How did you
48:52get here?"
48:54"I
48:55I had to see you," Julian said, his eyes
48:58only on her.
49:00He was shaking from the cold, from the
49:02shock.
49:03Elara, I know. I know everything.
49:06What?
49:07What are you talking about? She
49:09whispered, her hands coming up to her
49:11mouth. Isabella.
49:13Her father.
49:14Arthur Bryant.
49:15The blackmail.
49:17The threat.
49:18I know you didn't leave me.
49:20I know you left for me.
49:22Elara's face went white. She looked like
49:24she was going to faint.
49:26You need to leave, Mark said, his voice
49:29hard.
49:30You're not welcome here.
49:32She has a new life.
49:34I know,
49:35Julian said, his voice breaking.
49:38He took a step forward, his eyes
49:40pleading with Elara.
49:42And I know I have no right. I have no
49:45right to be here. I was a fool, a blind,
49:48arrogant, selfish fool.
49:51You were the only thing that ever
49:53mattered, the only real thing, and I
49:56I called you a security blanket. I let
49:59them
50:00I let them do this to you.
50:03He was crying now.
50:04The great Julian Vance, the titan of
50:07industry, was standing in a puddle on a
50:09hotel lobby floor, sobbing.
50:12I love you, Elara, he choked out.
50:15I've always loved you.
50:17I was just
50:18too stupid to call it by its name.
50:20I called it friendship. I called it a
50:23constant.
50:25But it was love. It's always been love,
50:28and I am so, so sorry.
50:30Elara was crying, too.
50:33Silent, shocked tears streamed down her
50:35face.
50:37Julian.
50:38Stop, she whispered.
50:40No, I won't.
50:42He took another step.
50:43I don't expect you to forgive me, and I
50:45don't expect you to come back. I see
50:47you're
50:48with him.
50:49He seems
50:50kind. He probably sees you.
50:53And God, you deserve that.
50:56He looked at Mark.
50:58Thank you
50:59for taking care of her.
51:01He turned back to Elara.
51:04I just
51:05I needed you to know the truth.
51:07Isabella is gone. Her father
51:09[clears throat] is gone. It's over.
51:11You're safe.
51:13You don't have to be Eliza anymore.
51:15You can be Elara Hayes.
51:17You're free.
51:19He nodded, a final, ragged gesture.
51:22He'd said his piece.
51:24He had no other moves to make.
51:26He turned to walk back out into the
51:28storm.
51:29Julian, wait.
51:31He stopped, his back to her.
51:33He heard her move. He heard Mark say,
51:36"Elara, don't. He'll destroy you again."
51:40He heard her shaky breath right behind
51:42him.
51:43"You're an idiot, Julian Vance." She
51:45said, her voice thick with tears.
51:48"I know." He whispered.
51:50"You're a
51:52a self-absorbed, emotionally stunted
51:54workaholic."
51:56"I know."
51:57"And you ruined my life."
51:59He closed his eyes.
52:01"I know."
52:02He felt her small, cold hand touch his
52:04arm.
52:05He turned around.
52:07She looked up at him, her eyes a storm
52:09of their own, anger and pain and a
52:12terrifying, stubborn hope.
52:15"You're also my best friend." She
52:17whispered.
52:18She looked back at Mark, who was
52:20watching them, his face a mask of
52:23heartbreak.
52:24"Mark." She said, "You are the kindest
52:26man I have ever met.
52:28You saved me.
52:30But
52:31but I'm not.
52:32I can't."
52:33Mark just nodded, his eyes sad.
52:36"I know." He said, echoing Julian's
52:38words. "He's your storm.
52:40I'm just the harbor.
52:42Nobody
52:43nobody chooses the harbor."
52:45"That's not true." She cried. "It's
52:48okay." Mark said.
52:50"Go, but Elara, if he ever ever makes
52:52you feel harmless again,
52:56you know where to find me."
52:58He walked away, heading toward the bar.
53:01Elara turned back to Julian. She was
53:04shaking.
53:05He was shaking. This isn't a movie,
53:07Julian, she said, her voice hard.
53:10You don't just
53:11say that
53:13and I fall into your arms. You broke me.
53:16I know, he said, his voice raw.
53:20So, let me spend the rest of my life
53:21fixing it.
53:23Let me prove it.
53:25I don't want a merger. I don't want an
53:27empire. I just want
53:29my mug back.
53:31A small watery laugh escaped her. You
53:35you're upset about the mug?
53:36I'm upset about everything, he said, a
53:39small desperate smile on his face.
53:42But, the mug is where I started to
53:43figure it out.
53:45She looked at him for a long agonizing
53:47minute.
53:49It was a choice. Safety
53:51or him.
53:53The warm hearth
53:54or the wildfire.
53:56She took one small step forward and
53:59buried her face in his cold wet suit
54:02jacket.
54:03You are so high maintenance, she mumbled
54:06into his chest.
54:08Julian wrapped his arms around her,
54:10holding her so tight he was afraid she'd
54:12dissolve.
54:14He buried his face in her short hair.
54:16I love you, Eli.
54:18I love you.
54:20I'm sorry.
54:21I'm so sorry.
54:23Me, too, she whispered, and he didn't
54:25know if she was saying I love you or I'm
54:28sorry, too.
54:30Maybe it was both.
54:32Outside the storm raged, but in the
54:34small lobby of the Anchor Inn, for the
54:37first time in a very long time,
54:39the world was finally perfectly still.
54:44That was the story of Julian and Elara.
54:47But, their reunion wasn't the end. It
54:50was the difficult beginning.
54:52Trust isn't rebuilt in a day and a heart
54:55doesn't heal just because the person who
54:57broke it says sorry.
55:00Their road was long, filled with
55:02therapy, hard conversations, and Julian
55:05learning to be a partner instead of a
55:07CEO.
55:09It was messy and real and hard-won.
55:13>> [clears throat]
55:13>> What did you think of Elara's impossible
55:15choice?
55:16Do you believe someone like Julian can
55:18truly change?
55:20This is the kind of story that happens
55:22every day hidden behind penthouse doors
55:25and quiet goodbyes.
55:27If this story moved you,
55:29please show your support. Hit that like
55:32button, share this video with someone
55:34who appreciates real drama,
55:37and most importantly, subscribe to the
55:40channel for more stories that explore
55:43the complicated messy truth of the human
55:46heart.
55:47Thank you for listening.

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