Emma's challenge hung in the air between them. Alex shifted uncomfortably in his executive chair, loosening his tie slightly – a tell she'd learned meant he was about to say something he'd rehearsed.
"Actually," he cleared his throat, straightening the already perfectly aligned pen on his desk, "that's why I called you here. I've been thinking about our... situation. In light of recent developments, I believe it would be in everyone's best interest to maintain our current arrangement."
