He should have set the phone down and walked away before curiosity turned into self harm. He should have stepped outside and let the rain soak through his shirt until the cold forced him back into himself. He should have washed a glass that did not need washing or poured another drink he would not finish. Anything would have been better than standing alone in the dim office with the screen glowing in his hand. His fingers moved anyway, driven by something primitive and helpless that did not ask permission from reason.
The video opened with music that sounded too expensive to be accidental, loud and polished, the kind designed to make every moment look important whether it was or not. The camera shook as the person filming pushed through bodies and champagne and shifting light before the frame steadied as if the world itself had paused. Zane felt the room fall away from him until the only thing left in existence was the image on the screen.
