The morning after Mr. Johnson’s call, Adam barely slept. His mind spun with possibilities. Had he seen them? Heard something? Or was the call a subtle test? Every word replayed in his head until dawn blurred into daylight.
By the time he arrived at the office, the world seemed unnervingly normal. The staff moved briskly through the glass halls, exchanging polite greetings. Phones rang, printers hummed, and no one looked at him twice.
But Adam’s stomach stayed tight.
When he stepped into Mr. Johnson’s office, the older man was standing by the window, hands in his pockets, looking out over the city skyline. “Morning,” Mr. Johnson said, without turning. “You were still working late last night, weren’t you?”
Adam froze for half a secon
