The lights flickered and then returned, but the tension did not dissipate. Lia's heart was racing, and she felt Leo's presence behind her like a shield of protection. Marcus had vanished, lost in shadows and the emergency exit, leaving only them within the eerily quiet office.
"We need to move," Leo said, his voice low and commanding. His hand brushed against hers while reaching for the file Marcus left behind. It was brief, but Lia felt an electric jolt race through her entire body. She hastily withdrew her hand, acting as if nothing happened.
"Right," she whispered, though every nerve in her body was screaming.
They walked down the deserted corridors; the flickering emergency lights made shadows dance across the walls. Lia wouldn't stop looking at Leo—his face was unreadable, but his eyes were aflame.
Then, in an instant, he was still. "Stay here," he said, stepping toward the door to the server room.
She nodded, while inside her the curiosity was a storm she could barely contain. She followed and didn't dare go very far away from him. As he opened the heavy door, it swung shut behind them with a sudden gust that sent a stack of folders crashing to the floor.
"Oh no!" Lia gasped, bending to pick them up.
And then it happened.
Leo was reaching down in the same instant. Their hands brushed, sending a look of surprise leaping between them. His free hand steadied her back. And with scattered papers and flashing lights and the rushing tide of adrenaline, their lips collided.
A brief, accidental kiss.
Lia froze. Her mind screamed. Her heart hammered like it would escape her chest.
Leo stepped back immediately, eyes wide—but unreadable, as always. "That… was not supposed to happen," he said, his voice a mixture of tension and something softer Lia couldn't name.
Before she could say anything, a loud click sounded from behind the door. Someone else was inside.