NICK POV
There he was, seated behind his massive desk, papers spread out like they were soldiers and he was their general. He didn’t even look up. Just kept flipping, signing, moving, like I wasn’t even air worth breathing.
I shuffled toward the chair opposite him, sat down carefully, my body stiff like a schoolboy waiting for detention. My palms were sweating rivers. I locked my fingers together on my lap, waiting for the thunder to roll.
Seconds stretched. Felt like an entire prison sentence.
Finally, he lifted his head. His eyes hit me like bullets. His face was tight, hard—definitely not good.
“Nicholas,” he said, his voice low but shaking with anger. “Where have you been?”
My throat closed. “I… I don’t understand. Is there something wrong?”
“Just answer the question,” he snapp
