Kate’s POV
The 30th floor was a tomb of work, even more alive than the company I worked with under Scott leadership before my disgrace.
During the day, this space was a living, breathing organism. Phones rang, printers whirred, and the air buzzed with the frenetic energy of logistics and commerce. But at 11:45 PM, the silence was heavy enough to crush you.
The cleaners had come and gone hours ago, their vacuums sucking away the day’s debris, leaving behind the smell of industrial lemon cleaner and stale recycled air.
I sat in my office, a solitary island of light in a sea of shadows. The only illumination came from the green glow of the emergency exit signs down the hallway and the harsh, white glare of my dual monitors.
My eyes felt like they were filled with sand. My lower back th
