ARIA
For a long moment after Andrew left, Ash and I just stared at the door like maybe he'd come back and explain what the hell had just happened. My heart hadn't quite decided whether to slow down or sprint. There was something about that man—his calmness, his composure, the way his smile didn't quite reach his eyes—that reminded me of Ewan Roman, that same quiet brand of danger that made you instinctively want to stand straighter.
Ash let out a low breath. "That was… unsettling."
"Unsettling is an understatement," I muttered, running a hand over my face. "Why do I feel like something's about to blow up again?"
She didn't laugh. She just looked at me, mouth tightening like she was holding words between her teeth.
"What?" I asked. "You have that look."
Ash hesitated. Her fingers brushed over the edge of the desk. "It's about someone close to you," she said finally.
Someone close to me. My stomach tightened. "Who—?"
Before she could finish, the door opened.
