LAUREN'S POV

After I was done with the meeting, I stepped out of the boardroom, finally free for the day. My body felt heavy, the kind of exhaustion that sank into your shoulders and made even walking feel like a task. What I needed more than anything was a long, cold shower once I got back home — a chance to let the stress slide off me. The thought of the water rushing over me was comforting enough that I almost forgot I wasn’t alone in the corridor.

But of course, I didn’t make it very far before someone stopped me.

“Lauren,” a voice called from behind me.

I turned...