“He’ll feel the shift,” he says.
“Immediately.”
A pause.
“And when he does—”
That’s when it becomes interesting.
“—he’ll close distance.”
The man nods slowly. “Which reinforces her again.”
Sentinel’s gaze sharpens.
“No.”
A quiet correction.
“It changes the dynamic.”
A step closer.
“Because if she starts to feel pressure from proximity…”
The realization lands.
“…she’ll pull back,” the man finishes.
Sentinel inclines his head slightly.
“Yes.”
And this time—
It won’t be instinct.
It will be confusion.
Doubt.
Internal conflict.
The most efficient fracture point there is.
He reaches forward and closes the file.
Decision made.
“Set up a controlled interaction,” he orders. “Nothing direct. Nothing traceable.”
“What kind of interaction?”
Sentinel pauses at the edge of the table.
Then—
“Something quiet,” he says.
