After a long while, Mika finally closed the last file and set it down on the ever-growing pile beside him. He leaned back in his chair and let out a deep, exhausted breath, running a hand through his hair.
It was done.
Normally, it would have taken an entire team of professional analysts weeks—maybe months—to read through, organize, and synthesize all this information.
And he had done it in less than an hour.
Not exactly why he had come here today, and certainly not how he had planned to spend his morning, but it was done.
He looked down at Nadia, still resting peacefully on his shoulder.
Her face was soft in sleep, all the tension and control that usually defined her completely absent.
She looked...peaceful. Cute, even.
He smiled.
It was worth it. All of it—the surprise, the work, the mountain of documents—was worth it for this moment.
For the chance to be here for her, to let her rest when she clearly hadn't been resting enough.
But it was time.
