(Raiden’s POV)
I recognize this mask, this careful distance, all too well.
It mirrors the very treatment I once inflicted upon her, unaware or uncaring of its cruelty.
The irony burns me, bitter and undeniable, twisting painfully through my chest as she deflects each of my subtle attempts to shift the conversation away from business.
I watch her carefully as she flips through the documents, her slender fingers precise and efficient.
Her amber eyes skim briefly over each page, absorbing details effortlessly. She nods politely at my questions, answers succinctly and professionally, never allowing the smallest crack in her carefully constructed armor.
Five days she’s been her.
"You’ve barely glanced at those, and you already know what’s wrong, don’t you?"
"P
