Naomi’s Pov

I didn’t go into the room with him.

That was deliberate.

They wanted distance. They wanted to see if separation changed posture. Cassian agreed to it without argument, which told me he’d already decided how this would go.

I waited outside with Mara and Rubio. No phones. No pacing. Just the hum of the building and the sound of my own breathing.

The doors closed.

Rubio glanced at me. “He’s good at this.”

“I know,” I said

“That doesn’t mean they won’t try something ugly,” Mara added.

“I know that too.”

Time moved strangely when I couldn’t see him. Every minute stretched. Every sound felt louder than it...