Footsteps crossed the room.
Was that Caleb? Max? Or was Naomi back?
She didn’t know.
Papers shifted. A drawer slid open, then shut.
The person inside muttered something under his breath. “Why is this computer on?”
Caleb, she realized. Caleb was in the room. She recognized his voice.
She squeezed her eyes closed, waiting for the closet door to open. Waiting for the moment she’d have to face Caleb and admit she’d crossed a line. Waiting to see the disappointment in his gaze.
Instead, she heard the door close.
Silence followed.
She stayed where she was, listening past the ringing in her ears.
She heard no movement. No voices.
The house seemed to settle back into its ordinary sounds.
After what felt like hours, she cracked the closet door.
The office stared back, empty.
Her pulse slowed just enough for her legs to feel unsteady. She slipped out of the closet and smoothed her shirt.
Carefully, she tiptoed across the room to the door. She cracked it open and paused.
She peered into the hallway to see if anyone was there.
It was empty.
After a beat, she eased the door open the rest of the way and stepped out.
She quietly pulled it closed behind her.
As she moved down the hall, she kept her expression neutral—just in case anyone appeared.
She stepped into the kitchen and saw Naomi and Sissy were back.
She’d gotten out just in time.
Relief mixed inside her with something sharper—shame, maybe. Or was it the familiar ache of knowing she’d almost ruined things?
She’d been a screwup too many times in her life to count.
She couldn’t stand the thought of screwing up here too.
Not when this place mattered and innocent women were counting on this place for protection.
As Caleb headed back outside to cross more items off his to-do list, his mind raced.
Why had something felt off in the office? Almost like someone uninvited had been inside?
It didn’t make sense.
