The ticking sound feels like it travels through my bones. Every beat sharpens the air in the office until my breath cannot move. Damian does not take his eyes off the parcel. He holds it with the kind of tension that tells me he is ready to throw it, crush it, or shield me from whatever is inside.
But the ticking stops.
Silence sweeps back in. Heavy. Fragile.
Damian turns to the nearest guard. “Get the scanner. Now.”
The guard bolts down the hallway.
Another guard stands beside Damian instantly, scanning the perimeter, checking every corner of the floor, every person, every door. I stay seated, my hands gripping the edge of my desk so tightly the wood cuts into my palms. My pulse claws at my throat. My vision feels too bright.
Damian looks at me once, sharply. “Do not move.”
I nod,
