Their breaths danced in delicate harmony, a fragile equilibrium neither dared disturb. Finally, it was Laura who broke the silence.

“Everything in the apartment remains untouched. You might want to check it. If anything is missing, instruct Tina to get in touch with Dylan. There's no need for us to contact each other anymore."

The urge to end their conversation tugged at her.

"Wait," Edwin murmured, a soft plea against the fading echoes of their shared history.

Laura's voice dipped to a hushed tone, barely above a whisper.

"Is there anything else you require, Mr. Evans?"

Edwin paused, his thoughts gathering like storm clouds, before he uttered, "Let's meet one more time."

Laura's laughter danced in a dreamy haze tinged with irony.

“Edwin, it seems your blind date is a success today. You're now a man with a girlfriend! Is your resentment and vendetta against me merely because my mother clung to your father? Rest assured, Edwin, I'll never stoop as low as her. Never!"

Laura declared, her resolve unshaken, "By the way, stop bothering me."

She ended the call, the final thread of their strained conversation.

With deliberate steps, she turned off her phone, extracted the SIM card, and planned to ask for Dylan's aid in procuring a new number.

Laura was no social butterfly; Dylan capably managed her professional affairs.

Changing her number, she mused, would scarcely disrupt her life.

On the other end of the line, Edwin sat ensconced within his car, the persistent dial tone a vexing accompaniment to his restlessness and frustration.

He sank into the car's embrace, shrouded in contemplative silence, a cigarette between his fingers.

Smoking was not a vice that held him captive; it was merely a habit that had recently crept up on him. His phone stirred to life with a WhatsApp notification, so he checked it in a rush.

A new friend request awaited his attention.

The name displayed was Vanessa Smith.

Edwin's gaze remained fixed on the screen for what felt like an eternity, his eyes tingling with fatigue before he ultimately accepted the request.