The siren blasted through the office, sharp and jarring, making papers flutter and conversations die mid-sentence. Red lights pulsed along the walls, painting everyone’s faces in quick flashes of urgency. Chairs scraped back, footsteps thundered toward the exit.
I stood too, but I wasn’t heading for the staircase. My heart was already beating for a different reason.
The fire drill was the perfect cover.
I slipped my phone into my pocket, smoothed my skirt, and walked in the opposite direction. Nobody noticed. Everyone was too busy pretending to be scared. My heels clicked fast along the hall until I reached the last door before the emergency exit — the storage room.
I turned the handle, stepped inside, and shut the door behind me. The siren became a dull, distant howl. Inside, it was d
