Chapter 53 Are You Asleep?

My phone wouldn't stop buzzing. Glancing at the screen, I saw about ten missed calls from Yvette. I chuckled to myself silently. Answering the phone at this moment? That was like walking straight into the line of fire. When I finally reached the office, the lively chatter died down immediately. Everyone went silent, their faces unreadable, then quietly returned to their seats. Pretending not to notice, I walked into my workspace as usual. Zia, who'd been waiting, jumped up the second I arrived. Her eyes were bright and full of concern as she looked at me. "Owen, you're here! Are you okay?" I booted up my computer, keeping my tone casual. "Yeah. I was just delayed by something this morning. Let's get to work." Her gaze lingered on my face, and she seemed hesitant before blurting out, "Your lips look swollen... Do you have a reaction to something? Randall once told me his friend had a similar issue with allergies." Ah, right. Another nice little reminder of last night's escapades wi