Gaze

Christine followed Adrian and James back home in silence.

As soon as they entered, she saw Patricia, her father, and her brother standing in a line like a united front, bowing to Adrian with formal, sincere gratitude.

The tall man stood before them in his black suit, giving a slight nod of acknowledgment.

James, following behind, helped remove his suit jacket and took the phone Adrian handed him, before stepping back to his position outside the door.

Pat quickly invited James to come in and join Adrian for dinner, but James politely refused to enter, just smiling and stepping back. Christine's parents understood that personal assistants to such important figures must maintain clear boundaries between work and personal matters - they surely had strict protocols about which occasions they could and couldn't attend.

Left with no choice, they stuffed James's pockets with food and candies, and only after expressing their thanks did they close the door.