The tension from the night before had not faded. It followed Caro into the next day, settling into her chest like something heavy she couldn't shake. She had barely stepped into the office when the shift in atmosphere hit her. Conversations stopped too quickly. Eyes lingered too long. Something was wrong, and she felt it before anyone said a word. Then someone finally did. "Caro… have you seen this?" The question came quietly, but it carried enough weight to make her turn immediately.
She didn't answer. She just took the phone being held out to her, her fingers tightening slightly as her eyes scanned the screen. The words blurred for a second before they sharpened into something far worse than she expected. "Internal leak tied to senior staff member." Her name wasn't written, but it didn't need to be. The implication was clear enough. Caro's breath caught. "This isn't real," she said quietly, more to herself than anyone else.
