Page 5

I startle, having forgotten I was leaning against his desk, making a scene as people pass in and out.

“Mm. How’s she been doing?”

He waves around at his desk, alluding to its location on the ground floor, far beneath where Seraphine works on the eighteenth.

“Right…”

Seraphine.

Her name has haunted me since I knocked into her near the elevator three days ago. I couldn’t let it go.

Something about her gave me pause, and nothing pauses me.

“Aria did come by this morning, happier than I’ve seen her in a long time,” he says, shrugging.

“Yeah?”

He nods, sitting back in his chair and perching his hands on his stomach. “Yup. Said her workload is less.”

My phone rings, and I look down to find Benji’s number on the screen. Not a number I want to see so early in the day.

“See ya, Wallace.” I wave, turning away to take the call.

“Yeah?”

“You busy?”

“What’s up, Benji?” I mash the elevator button a few times to call it.

“We gotta talk about your brother.”

I sigh, knowing this was coming, but hating it all the same. “I’ll be in my office in a few. You in the building?”

“I’ll meet you there.” He hangs up, and I step into the elevator, immediately hit the button for the top floor, and step back.

“Can you hold that?!” a voice shouts, and then a grumble sounds as the doors begin to close.

I step forward, shoving an arm out to stop the doors, and Seraphine steps onto the elevator, blowing a piece of her golden-brown hair off her face. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” I smile. “Eighteen?”

She narrows her gaze at me. “Yeah…”

She’s probably wondering why I know where she works, but I’m not going to show my hand unless I have to.

Plus, I basically run this fucking place, so I do have an excuse, even if it’s weak.

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” I joke to slice up some tension, and she smiles uncomfortably.

I shift on my feet as we ascend slowly, my eyes flicking between her and the numbers above the elevator doors.

When the elevator stops abruptly between floors, Seraphine sways, thrown off balance.

I lurch forward and catch her, pulling her into me as I try to steady us both.

The lights go off, except for one red emergency sign above.

“You alright?” I ask her breathlessly.