Cathleen’s fingers drummed against the steering wheel, a staccato rhythm that echoed her racing thoughts as she navigated the familiar route to work. The morning sun glared off chrome and glass, but inside her car was a sanctuary of shadowed thoughts.

She swung into her reserved parking spot, the engine's purr dying as she cut the ignition. Her heels clicked with authority across the concrete as she entered the building, the sound a sharp counterpoint to the whispers of betrayal still ringing in her ears.

Settling into the leather chair behind her desk, Cathleen couldn't help but replay the scene from the restaurant in her mind. A smirk crawled across...