The office carried the usual blend of fresh paper, light perfume, and the subtle hum of air conditioning.
Eliana entered with her head held high and a carefully measured smile that suggested a full night of rest and no unresolved emotions.
Her heels tapped a steady rhythm on the floor, and her neatly tucked blouse and clean hair completed the illusion of someone in control.
"Someone got laid," Janice muttered under her breath as Eliana passed.
Without breaking stride, Eliana rolled her eyes and replied over her shoulder, "Just got some sleep."
It wasn't a lie. There had been tea that morning. A soft kiss on the cheek. A ride to the office with her skin still warm from the way he'd held her.
Somehow, she managed to bring that calm into her routine, holding onto it because it was the only thing keeping her steady.
Even though she was still afraid—still looking over her shoulder when she walked to her car—at least that morning, she felt like she could breathe.