Damian closed the Dean's office door behind him with a quiet click. The corridor stretched ahead, bright with afternoon light streaming through the high windows, but his mind was still caught in the shadow of what he'd just done. Alvin Reed's shaken expression lingered, the memory sour on his tongue. He told himself it didn't matter. The reminder had to be delivered—Rapture's orders. And orders weren't something a Blackwood ignored.
Still, the words had tasted bitter, even for him.
He adjusted his jacket and started down the hall. Then, a sudden movement—someone rounded the corner sharply, nearly colliding with him. Damian caught the figure by the elbow to steady them.
Harper.
Her amber eyes blinked up at him in surprise, brows pulling together. "Oh. You?" She glanced behind him at the closed office door. Suspicion flickered across her face. "What were you doing in there?"
