I watched Elara's face light up as she answered the call from Victor. Something uncomfortable twisted in my gut—a feeling I wasn't accustomed to acknowledging.
"Victor, thank goodness," she breathed into the phone, turning slightly away from me. "Did you secure the documents? I need them as soon as possible."
The documents. The stolen plans, perhaps? Had she actually conspired with this Victor character to steal proprietary research? The thought bothered me more than it should have.
"Monday will be too late," she continued, her voice tense. "Fiona's already—" She paused, glancing back at me. "I'll call you back later. I need to go."
She hung up, her expression guarded as she turned to face me again.
"Your boyfriend seems very... involved in this situation," I remarked, keeping my tone neutral despite the bitterness rising in my throat.
Elara's brow furrowed. "Victor isn't my boyfriend. He's a colleague and a friend."
