Elena didn't go home.
She told herself it was because of the case.
The second access point was still unstable.
The trace incomplete.
The pattern unfinished.
But that wasn't the whole truth.
The office had thinned out hours ago.
Lights dimmed.
Voices gone
Only the quiet hum of systems remained.
And her.
Still at the desk.
Still staring at the screen.
The data hadn't changed in the last twenty minutes.
She had.
Her phone lit up.
She looked at it immediately this time
No hesitation.
"You're still working?."
Her lips pressed together slightly.
"You're still watching?."
A pause.
"Not watching."
"Just….here."
That felt different to Elena.
Elena leaned back slowly, letting her head rest briefly against the chair.
"That doesn't sound convincing."
"It's not supposed to."
A small breath escaped her.
She stared at the screen in front of her, but she wasn't really seeing it anymore.
"You should've logged off hours ago." He said.
A beat.
"So should you."
Her gaze flicked back to the message.
"I didn't say I was being smart about it."
Elena huffed quietly.
"At least you're honest."
A pause.
"Only when it matters."
Her fingers stilled.
"And this does?"
This time, the reply didn't come immediately.
She waited.
And realized that, she was actually waiting.
Then the reply came,
"Yeah."
Simple.
Steady.
Elena exhaled slowly, her shoulders easing back into the chair.
That answer shouldn't have done anything.
But It did.
"Miss Voss?" The analyst, the only worker around asides Elena called.
She straightened instantly.
"Yes."
"We managed to stabilize part of the trace."
Her focus snapped back.
"Show me."
The screen updated.
The second access path expanded.
More structure now.
Less guesswork.
Elena leaned forward again, eyes scanning.
"They're not just covering each other," she murmured.
"What do you mean?"
"They're timing it," she said. "One moves when the other pulls attention."
The analyst nodded slowly.
"That's coordinated."
"Yes."
Her jaw tightened slightly.
Which meant, this wasn't random.
It was planned.
Her phone buzzed again.
She glanced at it without thinking.
"You do that thing where you disappear into your head."
Her brows pulled together faintly.
"You've mentioned that before."
"Because you keep doing it."
Elena leaned back again, rubbing her temple lightly.
"Occupational hazard." She replied.
"Or habit?."
A small pause.
"Same thing."
"Not really."
She exhaled through her nose.
"You always like this?"
"Like what?"
"…persistent."
A beat.
"Only when I think someone needs it."
That made her wonder.
Her hand dropped from her temple.
"And you think I do?"
A longer pause this time.
She found herself watching the screen, waiting again.
Then he finally responded.
"I think you don't let yourself stop."
Her chest tightened slightly.
"Stopping isn't always an option."
The reply came softer.
"It is for a minute."
Elena stared at that.
Something about the way he said it, made her rethink her earlier response.
Not pushing.
Not insisting.
Just….offering.
Her gaze drifted away from the system again
"And what am I supposed to do for that minute?"
A pause.
"Nothing."
She blinked.
"That's it?"
"Yeah."
"Just don't think."
"Don't fix anything."
"Don't carry anything."
Elena let out a quiet breath.
That sounded impossible.
And yet, She leaned back fully into the chair.
Closed her eyes.
Just for a second.
The room stayed quiet.
The systems kept humming.
Nothing broke.
Nothing collapsed.
Her phone buzzed again.
She opened her eyes.
"Still there?"
Her lips curved slightly.
"Yeah."
A pause.
"You actually listened."
"Don't get used to it."
A soft exhale left him, unseen.
"Too late."
Elena shook her head lightly, but the tension in her shoulders had eased.
Just a little.
"Miss Voss…"
She opened her eyes fully, sitting up again.
"Yes."
"We've got a clearer path now. It links back to an internal relay cluster."
Her focus snapped back.
"Lock it down."
The analyst nodded.
Elena stepped forward, eyes sharp again.
But something had shifted.
Not in the case.
In her.
Her phone buzzed once more.
She glanced down.
"You should get some rest."
She hesitated.
"You first."
A beat.
"I will."
"After you."
Her brows lifted slightly.
"That's not how that works."
" It is tonight."
She stared at the message.
Then before she could overthink it, she responded.
"Fine."
"Give me ten minutes."
A pause.
" I'll hold you to that."
Elena locked her phone slowly.
Set it down.
And for the first time that night, she actually stepped away from the screen.