The days that followed were a blur of cold indifference and simmering tension. The office, which had once been a refuge, was now a minefield of unspoken emotions. Adrian was a ghost, a silent, menacing presence who seemed to be everywhere at once. He was a constant, unsettling shadow in her peripheral vision. She would be working at her desk, her mind frantic, a desperate loop of fear and shame, and she would feel. The stare. It was a cold, unwavering gaze that was a physical, visceral thing. She would glance up, her eyes a wild, panicked thing, and he would be there. Standing in the hallway, a cup of coffee in his hand, his eyes, a pale, terrifying green, fixed on her with a fierce, unwavering intensity.