The following Monday morning arrived with the weight of unspoken tension hanging over both Emma and Marcus. They had spent the weekend preparing for what was coming, but no amount of preparation could fully ease the dread that settled in Emma's chest.
Marcus sat at his home office, reviewing documents with Mr. Thomas over a video call. Emma could hear his voice through the closed door, measured and controlled, but she recognized the strain beneath the professionalism. She brought him coffee around mid-morning, setting it carefully on his desk without interrupting the call.
He squeezed her hand in gratitude, a gesture that conveyed everything words couldn't express in that moment.
