The next morning, Evelyn arrived at the office with dark circles she'd tried to hide under layers of concealer. She walked into the morning meeting with a practiced, professional mask.
The room was full, but Michael's chair was empty. Usually, he was the first to arrive, imposing and silent. Ten minutes passed. The murmurs grew. Evelyn eventually sighed and began to chair the meeting herself.
Just as they were reaching the conclusion, the double doors were flung open. Michael strode in, his aura so cold it felt like the temperature in the room had dropped ten degrees.
Evelyn froze. There was a dark, purplish bruise on the corner of his mouth, the mark her brother Julian had left during their brawl. He didn't look at her. In fact, he didn't look at anyone.
