I am the only shadow in the office, the only soul haunting the dim spaces. The rain is a secret I cannot hold; it taps out my betrayals in staccato against the glass. My breath comes as jagged as the papers on my desk. My pulse as uneven. I know he will find me. I know he will be here. And then he is. The scent of him arrives first, sharp with rain and something darker. Lucas stands at the threshold, and I see the thin line of uncertainty in his frame. I watch him. I wait. I tense.
The office is dim except for the pool of light from my desk lamp. The weight of Derek’s betrayal clutters the room like the scattered files, like the tension I can’t escape. I am alone, and I am not. The rain plays a sad rhythm, an accusation I can’t silence. I sit back in the chair, pushing air from my lungs,
