Chapter 15: The LieThe office buzz of Monday morning felt abrasive. Elara moved through it in a daze, the memory of the quiet car, the rain, and Leo’s unguarded eyes playing on a loop. She rounded the corner towards the kitchen, and there he was.Leaning against the wall, arms crossed, he was a statue of coiled tension. The vulnerability from the car was gone, replaced by a cold, hard mask. It was the Leo from Chapter 1, but angrier.“We need to talk,” he said, his voice a low command.Before she could answer, he pushed off the wall and steered her