EPHEMERAL CHAINS

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The Weight of a Few Words

Nora could hardly contain herself. After years of heartache, longing, and relentless pursuit, Dave had finally acknowledged her—even if only a little. A soft giggle bubbled up from her lips as she stood outside the study, pressing her hands over her chest as if to steady her wildly beating heart.

This was it. A small victory.

Taking a deep breath, she straightened her posture and knocked lightly.

"Knock, knock."

"Grandfather, it's Nora. May I come in?" she asked, ensuring her voice remained steady despite the excitement dancing within her.

"Come in, my baby girl!" Grandpa Trump's warm, booming voice answered almost immediately.

Nora pushed open the heavy wooden door, stepping inside with a bright smile. Her eyes flickered briefly to Dave, who remained seated in his chair, his expression unreadable. She quickly masked her amusement—pretending she hadn't just eavesdropped on their entire conversation.

She strode toward Grandpa Trump, wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace.

"Grandfather, I'll be heading home soon. I just wanted to say goodbye."

The old man beamed at her, his eyes crinkling with joy.

"Oh, alright. But you must come visit me often!" His tone was filled with affection, already treating her as if she were his granddaughter-in-law.

Nora giggled, leaning down to place a soft peck on his cheek. "Of course, Grandfather. I'll come by frequently. Take care!"

She turned to leave, intent on walking past Dave without sparing him a glance.

But then—

"Goodbye, Nora."

Her entire body froze mid-step.

Her breath hitched.

Did… did Dave just voluntarily say goodbye to her?!

As if that wasn't shocking enough, his deep, velvety voice followed again—calm and deliberate.

"Take care. We'll talk later."

Nora's head snapped toward him, her wide eyes brimming with disbelief.

Dave never initiated conversations with her. He never promised to talk later.

For a moment, she simply stood there, struggling to process his words. Then, quickly regaining her composure, she gave a small nod.

"I'll be expecting your call," she murmured softly before hurrying out of the room, her heart pounding violently against her ribs.

Her emotions swirled uncontrollably—joy, disbelief, a touch of hysteria. Her lips trembled as she fought back tears, her cheeks puffed slightly as she desperately tried to contain her excitement.

Behind her, Dave watched her retreating figure and let out a low chuckle.

"So childish."

Grandpa Trump, who had been silently observing their exchange, turned to his grandson with narrowed eyes.

"If you ever treat Nora badly, I swear I'll cripple you."

Dave smirked lazily.

"Then your company will go down with me."

Grandpa Trump's eyes widened in realization.

But before he could utter another word, Dave had already risen from his seat and walked out, the door slamming shut behind him with a resounding bang.

The old man clenched his fists.

"Don't you dare!" he shouted after him.

But the hallway was empty.

A deep, troubled sigh escaped his lips as he sank back into his chair, rubbing his temples.

Was Dave really making him choose between Nora and his hard-earned empire?

His company was everything—built from blood, sweat, and decades of sacrifice. Could he really allow it to crumble just because of one woman?

…Right?

---

Later, At Nora's House

The moment Nora stepped into her apartment, she threw her bag onto the couch and hollered excitedly.

"Ruby! Rose! Come out! You need to hear what I recorded!"

Within seconds, Ruby burst into the living room like a whirlwind, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

Rose, however, strolled in with a sigh, already looking exhausted. Crossing her arms, she raised an unimpressed brow.

"Just play it already."

Nora grinned and hit the play button on her phone.

Dave's voice filled the room, his deep timbre resonating through the speakers.

"She won't leave me. She's mine."

Ruby let out a gasp of delight, clapping her hands like an excited child.

"You finally got him!" she squealed.

Rose, on the other hand, scoffed.

"He said 'She's mine' like you belong to him or something."

Nora puffed out her chest proudly.

"I do! I belong only to Dave!" she declared without hesitation.

Rose rolled her eyes so hard she nearly saw the back of her skull.

Ruby, still giddy, grabbed Nora's hands and twirled her in a little celebratory dance.

"Big Nora, you're getting married!" she shrieked, jumping up and down.

Rose snorted.

"He hasn't even asked her out yet."

Nora whirled around, glaring at her best friend.

"He will soon!"

Rose smirked, her voice dripping with mockery.

"Sure, sure… be patient."

"I have been! I always will be!" Nora huffed, stomping her foot like a frustrated child.

Then, spinning on her heel, she snapped, "You just love annoying me!" before storming off to her room, slamming the door shut with an angry bang.

Silence fell between Ruby and Rose.

Ruby sighed, turning to her older sister with a frown.

"Sis, since Dave already said he'd marry her, just accept it. It's her choice—her dream. You're her best friend. Shouldn't you support her instead of tearing her down?"

Without waiting for a response, Ruby turned and walked away, already daydreaming about how she'd turn Nora's love story into the perfect novel.

That left Rose alone in the living room, staring at Nora's closed door.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips.

Her gaze darkened, her expression clouded with something unreadable.

"Nora… I'm only doing this for your own good."

Her voice was barely above a whisper, laced with an unshakable sense of unease.

She turned toward the window, her fingers clenching into fists.

"You don't know who Dave truly is. You're walking straight into the fire without even realizing how hot it burns. You haven't even felt the heat of the frying pan yet…"

A deep frown settled onto her face.

"Will you really be able to cope… and survive?"

And for the first time that night, an icy chill crept into her heart.

She had a bad feeling.

A very, very bad feeling.