I didn’t move.
His voice was calm, but it carried something sharp beneath it-something that froze the air between us.
My hand fell slowly back to my lap. I could still feel my pulse racing under my skin, loud enough that it felt like the whole room could hear it.
The handbag sat in front of me, perfectly still, perfectly placed. I stared at it, wanting to reach again but knowing I couldn’t. Not when he was watching.
Damian leaned back slightly in his chair. His expression didn’t change, but there was something in his eyes-quiet, steady control that made me feel small.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Just silence.
The kind that stretched too long.
Then I noticed it-the faint hum in the air shifting. A sound. Distant footsteps.
I turned, startled, and my stomach tightened.
The g
