~ Niamh ~
Every breath in the room was held, every eye fixed on the man at the head of the table as his word hung in the air like a guillotine blade.
My heart was pounding so hard it was almost painful, and I could see Shauna's knuckles turning white as she gripped the edge of the tablecloth.
Then, Massimo broke the thick, suffocating silence.
"But," he began, his voice dropping to that deadly octave, "you shouldn't let this relationship affect your work. You must deliver as perfectly as you used to, without distractions or excuses. My business doesn't stop because your hearts are full."
He leaned forward, his gaze piercing, as it jumped from Andrej's tense face to Shauna's tear-streaked one.
"Can you do that?"
It was like the sun had suddenly burst through a storm cloud.
Shauna and Andrej leaned forward in unison, their faces transforming from masks of terror to mirrors of pure hope.
