The day dragged on. Cassian was a ghost. He didn't speak to me, didn't look at me, and only gave me tasks through clipped, one-word commands. It was unnerving. I found myself hovering near the edge of his vision, almost hoping for a glare.
But then, the vibe of the site changed.
I noticed it first. I've spent my life being the guy no one notices, so I'm hyper-aware of when people start looking.
It started with the phones. Group of locals, maybe students or tourists, were lingering near the restricted fence. They weren't looking at the architecture. They were looking at us. Specifically, at me and Alex.
"Is that him?" a girl whispered, not even trying to be quiet.
"Yeah," her friend replied, holding up a phone and zooming in. "That's Alexander Hendrix. And look… is that the guy?"
My stomach dropped.
Alex was mid-sentence, talking to me about some charity gala, blissfully oblivious. Click. A camera shutter. Click. Another one.
