Standing there, shadowed by the pale morning light, was Daniel.
Only this time, his expression wasn’t gentle.
It was cold. Controlled.
And in his hand… he was holding another envelope.
For a long, breathless moment, I couldn’t move. The air between us felt charged, tight, and humming like the space right before lightning strikes.
Daniel stood just inside the doorway, his hair still damp from the rain outside, the faintest sheen of sweat on his brow.
He looked exhausted, like someone who hadn’t slept in days. But there was something else too, something sharper in his eyes.
He held out the envelope. “You left this in the lobby yesterday,” he said quietly.
His voice was calm, careful, as if he knew how close I was to breaking.
I didn’t take it. My hands were balled into fists at my
