As soon as the elevator doors slid shut with a soft whoosh, Ava's chest tightened. The weight of the situation seemed to settle in, constricting her like a vise. Her mind raced, darting between the countless tasks and pieces of information Dimitri had thrown at her during the meeting.
She felt a cold sweat forming at the base of her neck. Her reflection in the mirrored walls of the elevator stared back at her, wide-eyed and tense.
“How am I supposed to memorize all of this by today?” Ava's voice broke the silence, barely above a whisper, but sharp with urgency.
The echo of her own words bounced back at her, making her feel more isolated than ever. She tried to focus on her breathing, but it only seemed to make the panic more tangible, her breaths coming out shallow and fast.
Beside
