“I’m sorry,” Juniper said softly, the words slipping out before she could catch them. “It’s just… we’re so close to finishing this section.” She hadn’t meant to sound frustrated, but exhaustion had worn her usual filters thin.

Daniel stiffened a bit more then slightly, then pushed back from the conference table with deliberate care. The movement transformed him somehow - his shoulders squaring, spine lengthening, until he seemed to command the space in a way that made her cleft pucker… even his silence felt regal.

“You’re right,” he said, adjusting his cuffs. “We can finish tomorrow.” Something in his tone caught her attention - a slight hesitation, as if he was giving her a chance to object. As if maybe he didn’t want to leave at all. His fingers lingered on his sleeve, the nervous gesture so unlike his usual confidence that it made her pulse quicken its cadence. “I should probably head out.”