The hum of the GoldNova administrative wing was steady and low, it was the kind of midday quiet that made every small sound feel something like... amplified.
Samantha stood from her desk to reach for another folder when a sudden warmth rolled through her stomach, there was a soft, unwelcome wave that rose to her throat.
Woah... okay.
It wasn't sharp and not alarming. Just… wrong.
Her hand held the edge of the desk, fingers tightening as she inhaled slowly.
The sensation passed as quickly as it came.
She blinked once as if she's steadying herself. Probably nothing. She hadn’t eaten, she and Maximus had been up late yesterday, or maybe she’d been stressed.
Her palm drifted briefly to her abdomen, instinct, not concern, before she straightened her posture.
A knock sounded.
Haley ste
