Small Gestures, Deep Impressions  

[Victor]

Victor took a deep breath, feeling the now-familiar emotion settle in his chest.

He'd lost track of how many sighs he'd let slip since Eve hadn't shown up to the birthday celebration. Despite the efforts to keep things cheerful, her absence had left him feeling unexpectedly down.

But there was work to do, and like every morning before heading to the office, he made his way to Sinclair's study to brief him on the day's agenda.

Entering the room, Victor found Sinclair already awake and buried in a stack of paperwork, glasses perched on his nose, the lines of concentration on his face deepening.

"Did you get enough sleep?" Victor asked, a hint of concern in his voice.