~Elias~

She frowns and snatches the envelope form me before I could damage it further.

"I've spent more than five months in your company, Elias," Alice says, her voice entirely level as she stands there in the almost darkness of the hallway. "The firm will survive without me. I can leave, and there won't be any side effects to the daily operations."

"Yes, but I mean, you shouldn't leave," I stammer, the words tumbling out before I can filter them. My chest feels tight, a strange, ...