Nadia's Point Of View
Lydia refused to take the hint. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, leaning her hands on the edge of my desk divider. The scent of her floral perfume invaded my space, cloying and overwhelming, making my jaw clench tighter. Each breath felt like an intrusion. "Nadia, seriously, I'm just trying to check on you," she said, her voice dropping to what she probably thought was a conspiratorial whisper.
The concern in her tone made my skin crawl. "Everyone in the department is talking about how tense things were at that meeting. If there's something wrong with the executive team, or if that Seraphina is causing issues, you can tell me. Are you really okay?"
The mention of that name was the absolute last straw. Something inside my brain snapped entirely, like a wire pulled too taut. The careful control I'd been maintaining all morning shattered into a thousand pieces.
