'I sent my driver to pick you up. If you do not step outside right now and get into the car, you already know what will happen.'
The message sat on Emery's screen like a loaded weapon, and for a split second the world around her seemed to blur into nothing but those words.
She stopped walking, her shoulders stiffened, and the faint sound of her uneven breathing filled the quiet hallway. Tears swam in her eyes, distorting her vision as she slowly lifted her gaze from the glowing screen to where Corvine stood a few steps away, confusion and concern written all over his face.
"I'm sorry," she said, her voice breaking under the weight of something heavier than embarrassment or pride. "I can't."
There was finality in her tone, the kind that did not invite negotiation.
Before either of them could reach her, Emery turned and walked out without looking back, as though looking back would shatter whatever fragile resolve she had left.
