Sadie’s POV
The elevator ride to the office felt interminable. My hands were clutched tightly around my bag strap, knuckles white, even though I had been through the office routine countless times. I tried to focus on logistics — the presentation I needed to finish, the schedule for the next event — but every thought kept drifting back to last night.
The gala had been a disaster and a triumph all at once. Cameras, flashing lights, and whispers that followed Liam wherever he went were overwhelming, but I had survived. I had kept my composure. I had smiled, nodded, and laughed on cue. And I had felt that small, dangerous thrill every time his hand brushed mine or his gaze lingered a fraction too long.
The office floor was quiet when I arrived, almost eerily so. Only the soft hum of the ai
