Elena's POV
"Ruth, do you know where the extra staplers went?"
"Supply closet. Third shelf." Ruth didn't look up from her monitor, and I lingered a moment longer than the question required, still half-distracted by the memory of Damian's silhouette watching me through frosted glass the day before.
The supply closet sat at the far end of the executive hallway, tucked into a corner just past Damian's office, close enough that I could hear the low murmur of his voice through the wall the second I stepped inside. I told myself I wasn't listening. I told myself I was looking for staplers.
I found the staplers within ten seconds. I stayed considerably longer than ten seconds.
"...understand your concerns," Damian was saying, his voice pitched low but not quite low enough, carrying through t
