Page 63 of Fractured Loyalties

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“Not saying you aren’t.”

“But you’re here anyway.”

He lifts his hand in mock surrender. “Checking in. No agenda.”

Except everything about his body saysagenda.

His eyes sweep the desk. Land on the sticky note. Pause. Just for a second too long.

Then he looks at me again. “You sure you’re all right?”

“I’m sure.”

He smiles, but there’s no warmth in it.

“Good. Let me know if you need anything.”

Then he leaves.

And I finally breathe.

The second the door closes, I grab my phone off the desk.

I don’t overthink it this time.

I reopen the message thread with Elias. Type:

I need you to see something.

I take a photo of the note, frame the sticky beside it, and I hit send.

Three seconds.

Four.

Reply:Don’t leave the room.

That’s it. No question. No explanation.

Another message follows:Is your office camera working?

I freeze.

Look up.

The camera in the corner—a leftover from an old security install, never removed, always off—has a small red light blinking. I haven’t seen that light in over a year.

I write:It wasn’t on before.

Elias:It is now.

The air thickens. I look at the door like it might open on its own. I don’t know what I want more—Elias to appear or for no one else to walk in at all.

Another text buzzes.

I’m five minutes out.

My heart stutters. Then settles into something harder.

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