Augustus opened his mouth.
Nothing emerged.
I'd never seen him genuinely speechless before.
Good.
I gathered my notebook and straightened my jacket, giving myself time to compose my expression.
"I'll send the remaining Meridian documents through Commercial directly."
"Juliette, wait—"
"The client-communication framework is due by the end of the day."
"We should discuss—"
"We just did, Mr. Evans."
The formality landed exactly as intended.
I left his office without slamming the door. My heels struck the marble with measured precision. I wasn't fleeing or storming away. I was returning to work.
A junior analyst nodded as I passed. I nodded back, grateful that nobody appeared to notice anything unusual. On this floor, appearances were another department, and I had no intention of providing material for its next meeting.
Only when I reached my desk did I exhale.
