Alice sat perfectly still.
The color had not completely left her face, but it had faded enough that Dayo noticed it immediately.
A few seconds earlier she had looked nervous. Now she looked like someone waiting for a verdict.
Across the office, Felix remained focused on his laptop while lines of data continued scrolling across the screen.
The room felt smaller than it had five minutes ago.
Not because anything had physically changed.
Because uncertainty had started becoming certainty.
Alice swallowed.
"Am I in trouble?"
Dayo leaned back slightly in his chair and studied her for a moment before answering.
The question sounded genuine. Not defensive. Not manipulative. Just worried. That alone told him a lot.
If she had knowingly betrayed him, she wouldn't be sitting there looking like she wanted the floor to open and swallow her whole.
"You aren't in trouble," he said carefully. "At least not from me."
Alice released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
