Chapter 289: Fear

"Can we not—" His hand, a sign of his mounting frustration, found refuge against his forehead.

Her response was swift, a refusal to surrender. "No, I must give it back. I had no intentions of fulfilling the request anyway." Determination etched her voice as she rose to her feet, her steps measured as she approached the desk where her phone lay.

He watched in silence, as her fingers unlocked the device. Their eyes met, a silent communion, her seriousness reflected in the depths of her gaze.

"Knowing everything now, I see no reason to obstruct the unfolding events," her voice resonated with newfound determination. The phone was cradled against her chest as she spoke, "My fear was you glimpsing this concealed facet of me, one I've guarded fiercely. But with my truth laid bare before you…" 

Her voice trailed off, and when he observed her features, there was an unexpected defiance in her eyes, one that brought a different kind of light to her entire aura.