Elias slammed the tablet onto the conference table with a sound that suggested structural damage. The screen didn't crack, but only because it feared him more than gravity.
"I am going to commit a crime," he announced.
Across from him, Ruo didn't even look up from her coffee. "Is it the same crime as yesterday?"
"No," Elias snapped. "This one's worse. This one involves Ego Numen, a data leak, three passive-aggressive memos, and an executive scheduling app that thinks I'm a part-time intern with a caffeine addiction."
"You do have a caffeine addiction."
"I had one," Elias corrected, dragging a hand through his hair. "I gave it up for the fetus. I deserve a goddamn parade."
Ruo finally glanced up, impassive behind her tinted reading glasses. "You're five and a half months pregnant and trying to rewrite an entire deployment plan while dodging father, who thinks micromanaging is a form of affection."
