The receptionist frowned slightly.
—Daniel? No, ma'am. He asked to work remotely this week. He said he had to stay home for family reasons.
Family matters.
I felt a cold calm spread through my body.
Thank you, Ethan.
Thank you for your trust.
I went back to the car and stayed there for a long time.
I didn't cry.
Not yet.
I needed to think first.
I remembered small details from the last few months.
Daniel kept insisting that I take Ethan every morning.
Daniel offered to stay home "to help the news stories progress".
Daniel was taking a shower as soon as I left.
I felt nauseous.
This was not a recent mistake.
It was a routine.
