Justin's POV
"You surprise me."
The words left my mouth before I could stop them. Soft. Unexpected. Honest.
Elena blinked. Just once. Then she nodded slowly, almost like she didn't know whether to accept it or walk away from it.
"I'll be heading home now," she said again, her voice no longer defensive, just tired.
I watched her go.
Didn't stop her. Didn't follow.
The air in the office was heavy after she left, the scent of her perfume lingering like a whisper I couldn't shake. I leaned back in my chair, fingers laced together on the desk as the echoes of our conversation repeated in my mind.
She was not my pet. She was not my pawn. And yet I'd treated her like both.
But she came to work. And she handled her department like she was born to lead. She proved that no one else can do the job like her in just a day. She is so so efficient, I can't deny that fact.
