Emma's fingers hovered over her keyboard, Mark's apology email still open on her screen. The office bustled around her, but she felt oddly detached from it all, as if she were watching the scene unfold from behind a pane of glass. With a deep breath, she pushed back from her desk and made her way to Mark's office, her heart thrumming with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.
She knocked softly on the door frame. Mark looked up, his face a mask of professional neutrality, but Emma caught a flicker of something—regret, perhaps?—in his eyes.
"Emma, come in," he said, gesturing to the chair across from his desk. "Please, close the door."
As Emma settled into the seat, Mark leaned forward, his elbows resting on his desk. "First, I want to reiterate my apology. My behavior earlier was com
