her desk, the glow from her computer screen highlighting the tension in her face. Papers were stacked in uneven towers,

t as though the world had shrunk to this office and the case she had taken on. Every small d

is presence commanding and unannounced. He did not speak immediately; he simply observed, sil

ow but carrying an unmistakable edge that made he

d to steady her voice. "I wanted to finish the repo

ainst the edge of his desk, but the weight of his presence pressed in on her, subtle but un

ride and defiance. "I do what needs to

ightly, enough to make her chest tighten. "What drives you?" h

her than judgmental or condescending. She hesitated, memories of her past flickering through her mind. The long nig

whisper. "I learned early that nothing is free. You fi

ize," he murmured, his controlled demeanor cracking for a heartbeat. The brief vulnerability in

ht, a pain and in that instant, she realized she had glimpsed it, even if only briefly. Their connection, fra

began to think she might finally breathe, her phone vibrated sharply in her pocket. She ignored it at first, too absorbed in

scanning the screen, and froze. An a

tching. Be car

now felt oppressive, almost threatening. She glanced at Wilson, whose eyes were s

sion, every interaction could be crucial. And in the depth of that late hour, one thing was certain: Delp

lson. His expression was calm, composed, but she sensed a flicker of concern, a shadow pas

he stated quietly, more

f curiosity and caution, that made her want to trust him, yet fear still clawed at her instincts. "Yes," she a

distance between them just enough to make the air between the

But it feels personal. Someone knows things

e but intense, almost suffocating in its closeness. He studied her, unreadable yet deeply alert, and for the first time, she saw that t

onight," he said, voice low an

titude and defiance. "I can handle myself," she sa

nt of his cologne, sharp and clean, and felt her pulse quicken. "Handle yourself all you want

m, yet a strange, compelling force kept her rooted in place. She had seen glimpses of vulnerability in h

in her chest. Slowly, almost unwillingly, she picked it

onight, you are not

cts flaring, yet he did not move immediately. Instead, he studied her reaction, gau

nger, noises sharper, and the ticking clock louder. The city outside had not changed, but every

n passing between them: Did she understa

y ahead. And for Delphine, one truth had become painfully clear: nothi