oice, now laced with a theatrical whimper, drifted from t
ritis didn't cause chest tightness. It was
pped out, the heavy wood swinging shut behind her, cu
et was a relief, like coming up for air after being held underw
oward the staff elevator. All she wanted was to get home, take a scaldi
opened again behind her. A single set of
sence, an oppressive weight in the air, a familiar,
as the heavy footsteps approached. A floor below, she hurried out; her off
r office, immediately turning and throwing the deadbolt. The solid
e closed her eyes. Her heart was racing, a wild, f
hite coat she had just shucked off. There was another ex
ice phone on her desk
he knew who it was. She let it rin
ha
ogetic. "Iris... uh... Mr. Pope says he
left for the day," she
a step, she heard a new sound. The faint, metallic scr
he doorknob began to turn slowly. She had forgotten. The de
or swu
hallway light, plunging her small office into shadow. He stepped inside and c
ck, heavy with his unspoken intent. The room, which had always felt functi
dge of her cold, metal desk pressed into h
ked down at her, his face a mask of complex emotions. There was curiosity, a tightly controlled anger
, or maybe it was just the sheer force of his
retched, taut
lly said, his voice
traveled from her ears straight to her stomach, which cl
indifference. "Mr. Pope," she replied, her own voice clipped an
desperate attempt to reclai
e continued, her voice steady despite the tremor she f
that so? My lawyer informed me that when he went to file the paper
y stunned. That was his reason
He leaned down, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "So, it see
g uniquely him-enveloped her. It was overwhelming, disorientin
on either side of her, his arms bracketing he
snapped, her voice sharp with warning. "For Kelsey Mcknight's sak
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