Peter stood alone in his office long after the executive floor had emptied, the folder Caro had given him still open on his desk. The printed payment records lay beside the threatening message, but he had read neither document properly for the last ten minutes. His attention kept returning to the last thing he had said to her. Am I beginning to trust you, or are you simply becoming better at making me think I should?
Caro had not answered immediately. She had only looked at him with those steady eyes that always seemed to carry more truth than she was willing to speak aloud. Then she had said she did not expect him to trust her without proof. She had said she would keep doing what was right, even if he never forgave her. The words should have made him feel relieved. Instead, they had stayed beneath his skin like a question he could not remove.
