CHAPTER 136

(Damon's POV)

The office looked different that morning.

I arrived earlier than usual, expecting the usual sterile silence, but the moment the elevator doors opened, I was met with color. Streamers, soft lights, banners across the ceiling beams. Theo had outdone himself — exactly the way I’d asked him to.

Good.

My people deserved something good after the chaos of the last week.

Word spread fast through the building — the celebratory setup, the surprise decorations, the long table loaded with pastries, drinks, and ridiculous amounts of confetti. I could hear the rising chatter, laughter, disbelief.

For a moment, the place didn’t feel like a battleground preparing for the next hit. It felt… light.

The exact effect I wanted.

Employees filtered in, one by one, their faces lighting up when they saw the effort. Some snapped pictures. Some hugged. Some started music on the speakers without waiting for permission. I let them. Today wasn’t about rules.

Then she walked in.

Emma stopped at the do