I was the last one left on the 18th floor. The office had that dead quiet feel you only get after everyone else has gone home, and you’re left with empty chairs, dark monitors, and a couple of hallway lights still buzzing faintly overhead. My screen was the only real light in my cubicle, glowing blue-white and hurting my eyes because I’d been staring at it too long. I kept glancing at the clock in the corner: 7:42, then 7:45, then 7:50, and every minute felt slower than the last.
Adeline’s message from earlier sat open in my inbox like it was mocking me.
“Matt. My office. 8:00 p.m. sharp for report review. Don’t keep me waiting.”
That was all she wrote, with just her name at the bottom in that font she always used. My stomach has been twisting since I read it. I wiped my palms on my thi
