Sheila didn’t realize she had stopped breathing until Elena’s hand lightly brushed her elbow.
“Breathe,” Elena murmured quietly.
The single word snapped Sheila back into motion. She inhaled sharply, locking her phone screen before anyone else could glimpse the photo Carter had sent.
But the image was already burned into her mind.
Atticus standing close.
Too close.
Protective in a way that now looked dangerous.
Calculated.
Weaponized.
Exactly how Carter wanted it to look.
“You saw it, didn’t you?” Elena asked softly.
Sheila nodded once, her jaw tightening as she forced her shoulders back into their usual straight, professional posture.
“He’s documenting everything,” Sheila said quietly.
“He always does,” Elena replied. “But sending it directly to you means he’s escalating the p
