Merlina stared at Nora, her words slow to register. 'Mr. Lesnar would like to see you in his office before you leave.'
For a heartbeat, Merlina didn't move. Her fingers tightened on the strap of her bag. "Oh. Um—okay," she managed, her voice barely above a whisper.
Nora's polite smile didn't waver. "I can take you up now, if you're ready." She whispered again.
Merlina nodded quickly, even though her pulse raced. She turned to Nate, who was gathering the remaining printouts. The wall clock above the conference screen read a few minutes past six—working hours were over. Most of the team would be heading out soon.
"Hey, um—don't wait up for me, okay? I'll just head home from here."
Nate glanced up, brow furrowing. "You sure?"
"Yeah," she said, too quickly. "I can't afford to face Park right now."
Nate studied her face for a moment but didn't press. "Alright. Hey, you did fine. Don't beat yourself up, okay?"
