The hallway outside Damon's office felt unusually cold, as if the air itself had shifted after what had just happened behind those closed doors, leaving a heavy and suffocating weight hanging between them.
Jacob walked ahead without saying a word, his posture straight but his movements slightly stiff, each step measured and careful as though he was forcing his body to cooperate despite the pain he was trying so hard to hide. To anyone else, it might have gone unnoticed, but Damon was not just anyone—he saw everything.
And he noticed every little thing.
From behind, Damon's sharp gaze followed Jacob closely, catching every subtle change in his pace, every slight hesitation in his steps, every quiet breath that sounded just a little too controlled. For a brief moment, an unfamiliar urge stirred within him the instinct to step forward, to close the distance, to reach out and steady him, but he stopped himself before he could act on it.
He knew better.
