Lyra stared at the standoff between Percival and Jasper, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Before either man could speak, a third voice interrupted.
"What's going on here?"
Jalen Barrett stood at the library entrance, his lean frame tense as he assessed the situation. His eyes narrowed at the red mark on Lyra's arm where Jasper had grabbed her.
Percival stepped back, his expression returning to its usual mask of cool indifference. "Nothing that concerns you, Jalen."
"Actually," Jalen said, walking forward, "it does concern me when it involves a member of my department."
Jasper recovered quickly, straightening his tie. "I was just explaining to Mrs. Covington that she'd be better suited in my division. Her... qualifications are more aligned with our administrative needs."
"Is that so?" Jalen's tone was deceptively mild. "Strange way to conduct a transfer discussion."
