The lights in Arianne's office were dimmed, the only illumination coming from the lamp on her desk. She lifted her head when she heard Franz's arrival. She glanced at the time at the corner of her laptop—8 PM. Later than she realized.
She pulled away from her desk and watched as Franz took a seat across from her. He looked calmer than their earlier meeting. The tension in his jaw had eased. His hands were still.
"Did something happen?" she asked.
"I had a word with Lucas. I needed to hear his opinion." Franz met her eyes. "He told me something I already knew. Just needed to hear it from someone else."
Arianne clasped her hands together and didn't say a word. She waited.
"You know what this does to you publicly," Franz said.
"It changes nothing I haven't already faced."
Franz stared at her. A moment later, his shoulders fell, as if the worries that had burdened him earlier had finally released their grip.
