Zara tried her best to politely by-pass Liana. She felt the eyes before she saw them. A cough cut short, a whisper, the small pause when someone pretends to check their phone. Too many of them at once.

She walked faster. Bag strap digging into her shoulder. Kept her chin up. The phone cameras didn’t bother hiding anymore, angles shifting as she passed. By the time the elevator opened, her chest was tight. She almost hit the wrong floor.

When she stepped out, it was worse. Desks bent ...