As soon as the office door closed behind Damon, silence returned to fill the room like a physical presence.
Elizabeth remained motionless for a few seconds, her eyes fixed on the exact spot where he had been moments before. Only then did she let her shoulders slump slightly and release a heavy sigh, one of those that doesn't ask permission to exist.
"Who's behind you…?" she murmured to the void, her voice too low to be heard beyond the walls.
She brought her hand to her face, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her fingers, as if trying to ward off an impending headache. Thoughts overlapped too quickly—names, organizations, old agreements, unpaid debts, mistakes buried with insufficient care.
"This came too soon…" she added.
The lamps flickered.
It wasn't a violent tremor. It was subtle. Almost respectful.
Elizabeth didn't turn around immediately.
"You can leave," she said, without raising her voice.
For a moment, nothing happened.
