Elena's POV
The worst part wasn't the time.
Or the fact that she was near my office before anyone else.
It was the quiet.
The effortless quiet of someone who knew exactly how not to get caught.
I picked up my phone.
Elena:
Yes. Don't tell anyone. Let me know if anything else feels off.
I put the phone down and stood.
Walked out of my office like I wasn't unraveling inside.
Mariah was by the printer—focused, calm. She turned and smiled when she saw me.
"Everything okay, Miss Marlowe?"
I nodded. "Fine."
I walked closer. Not too close. Just enough to feel the tension behind my own smile.
"Thanks for handling everything this morning," I said.
She nodded. "Of course. Always."
I tilted my head slightly. "When did you get in again?"
"Just before eight," she answered without missing a beat.
My heart didn't move. My expression didn't change.
But something inside me shifted.
A quiet confirmation.
A lie—smooth and practiced.
I nodded again. "Right. That's what I thought."
