The rain had deepened by the time Caro stepped out of the building, the soft drizzle turning into a steady curtain that blurred the city lights into streaks of gold and white. She barely noticed it. Her mind was still trapped in Peter's office, replaying his voice over and over, calm yet cutting, certain in a way that made her chest tighten.
Something isn't right… and I know it.
She wrapped her arms around herself as she walked faster toward the parking garage, her breath uneven. "He's already suspicious," she whispered under her breath, as if saying it out loud might make it less real. "I have to stop this now. No more lies. No more mistakes."
"Miss Caro."
Her steps faltered instantly.
She turned slowly, her pulse already racing, and saw him standing under the overhang as if he had been waiting for her all along. Mr. Vale looked untouched by the rain, his coat pristine, his expression calm, almost pleasant in a way that made her skin crawl.
