The Storm Approaches
"Flora, we need to talk."
The words hung in the air like a warning. Flora didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. Adrian's voice was deep and steady, a blade cutting through tension in the room. She could feel the weight of his presence behind her-tall, solid, but miles away in the space between them.
She kept her gaze on the maps on the table, her mind wandering. She wasn't ready for this talk. Not today. Not when everything in her head felt like it was slowly crumbling apart.
"You have to be kidding me," she muttered under her breath, more for her ears than his. "You want to talk now?"
Adrian stepped closer; his boots silent on the cold concrete floor. "I know you're angry, Flora. But this—" He paused, his eyes softening slightly. "This can't wait an
