Celine froze in the doorway, her pulse spiking. The bluish glow of the office computer illuminated Liam’s face, tight with concentration. A USB drive blinked red in the port, its tiny light beating like a warning signal. He startled at her sudden appearance, his hand jerking away from the keyboard.

“Celine.” His voice cracked before he steadied it with forced calm. “Hey. I was just—uh—helping out. The system froze, so I thought I’d take a look.”

The excuse was too quick. Too ...