Jason pov
My office felt like a cage, the walls closing in with each tick of the clock on the wall. Papers were piled high on my desk, a mountain of demands and problems waiting for my attention. The clock’s tick-tock rhythm was a cruel reminder of time slipping away, mocking my lack of progress. I let out a heavy sigh, the kind that came from deep within, and reached for another document. The pen in my hand felt like a lead weight as it scratched across the paper, each stroke a battle against the endless tide of paperwork.
The sudden buzz of my phone shattered my concentration. I glanced at the screen and saw Elijah’s name flash. Lowell's beta rarely called unless it was important. When I answered, his voice came through tense and crackly. "Jason, I need to see you," he said, his tone e
