#Chapter 36: Building a Case

Emily By the time I stepped back into Logan’s office, the air felt colder. Or maybe it was just him. He didn’t look up when I entered. Didn’t acknowledge me at all, actually. Just flipped a page in the thick folder he was reading and said flatly, “Close the door.” I did. The other assistants were already there. Iris had sat at her desk all day pretending to be absorbed in her screen, but her posture screamed satisfaction. Carla kept stealing glances between me and Logan, trying—and failing—to hide a smirk. And Iris… Iris was radiant. Now, she stood beside Logan’s desk, holding a report, her body angled just so to make it clear she belonged in the room—and I didn’t. She caught my eye and smiled like we were sharing a joke. We weren’t. Logan’s his eyes flicked over me like I was just another document to assess, then he set down his pen and gestured toward a neat stack of folders on the corner of the desk. “Finance reports from the past six months,” he said. “I want