Emily Blair tasted the words, but couldn’t make out any particular meaning in them.
She frowned slightly. “Why are you telling me all this?”
Just that single question from Emily left Tristan Davis with all his frustration caught in his chest.
His gaze hardened, knuckles whitening as he clenched his paper cup tighter. The flimsy cup creased under the pressure, and what little water was left spilled out, trailing down his hand and pooling on the desk.
Emily stared at the small puddle spreading across her desk, utterly baffled. “It’s just a set of pajamas. Wash them if you want, or toss them out if you don’t. No need to make a big deal—throwing them away isn’t exactly a crime.”
Tristan ground out his reply through gritted teeth. “Wasteful? You think I’m being wasteful?”
“You’re not. You’ve got money to burn—do whatever you want,” Emily retorted, yanking a tissue from the box and slapping it down in front of him. “Clean that up. You’re not the only one who likes things tidy.”
Tristan’s frown deepened, his eyes growing stormier, lips pressed into a stubborn line.
Emily glanced at the chaotic spreadsheets littering her screen and huffed, exasperated. “If you have something to say, just spit it out. When did you get so hesitant? Watching you stumble over your words is stressing me out.”
Tristan’s eyes darkened.
As if you’re more stressed than I am.
He drew in a breath, face like thunder, grabbed the tissue, and dutifully wiped the water from the desk.
Emily, focused on her data, nudged her chin toward the table. “Make sure you get it all.”
His expression grew more sour. He balled up the tissue and tossed it into the trash can, hitting the mark with unnecessary precision.
A moment later, the other side of the desk went quiet. Emily assumed Tristan had finally left.
Suddenly, a shadow fell across her, blocking the sunlight streaming in from the window. She sensed someone move to her side and looked up.
Tristan stood next to her, staring down, his face unreadable.
Emily barely acknowledged him and quickly dropped her gaze back to the graph on her monitor. “If there’s more, say it now. Once you’re done, report to the tech department. If there’s a problem with the software, Hazel will consult you. Otherwise, do as you like.”

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