Peter's chair scraped sharply against the office floor as he stood, the sound carrying faintly even through the glass between them. Caro's pulse jumped instantly, her fingers tightening around the strap of her bag while cold panic spread through her chest. For one dangerous second she thought he was coming toward the door. Coming toward her. But instead, Peter's attention shifted abruptly toward the illuminated screen of his phone vibrating across the desk beside him. His expression hardened almost immediately as he glanced downward, the fragile tension that had existed between them moments earlier disappearing beneath something colder. Something far more controlled. Caro watched the exact second his jaw locked tightly enough to betray anger.
Then his eyes lifted toward her again.
Not soft this time.
Not vulnerable.
Sharp.
Calculating.
The shift hit her harder than it should have.
