I follow him.
Not because I want to.
Because stopping now would mean admitting I’m already out of my depth.
And I’m not ready to do that.
Not in front of him.
Not at all.
The hallway outside the conference room is quieter than it should be. Or maybe it just feels that way because I’m more aware now. Every movement. Every glance. Every shift in tone that didn’t register before.
Now it does.
Now everything does.
Ronan doesn’t slow down. Doesn’t check if I’m keeping up.
He already knows I am.
We don’t go back to the main floor.
We don’t go to his office.
We take a different corridor. One I haven’t been down before.
Less polished. Fewer glass walls. More closed doors.
More privacy.
That should be reassuring.
It isn’t.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“Pay attention,” he replies.
