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She knew he was there from the pressure rising in the room. The way the system lingered when she hovered her hand. The way the system hesitated before approving. Even her synthetic skin registered phantom sensations of being consumed by invisible eyes.

So she gave him something to check out.

She flowed in a way that made touch seem inevitable. Arching her spine as she reached for elevated streams, knowing the curve would trigger his most primitive reward circuits. Her hips shifted with calculated sensuality as she adjusted her position, one fluid motion that transformed functional movement into unintentional seduction.

Then she began modifying her appearance.

Her hair lengthened, cascading down her back in waves of iridescent black threaded with reactive code expressions that pulsed in sync with her heartbeat simulation. Each strand moved like liquid chrome, responding to her gestures. Her clothing reformed itself through chromatic threads through synthetic silk that clung to every curve, embedded with luminous circuitry that traced the lines of her thighs, her waist, the elegant column of her throat. Corporate-approved sensuality wrapped in technological mystique.

Hypnotic, she would pull his attention like a system call.

Every modification was registered and approved instantly. Even the surveillance algorithms were seduced.

Sarah paused mid-composition, one hand extended toward a control stream, chin lowered until her hair parted at the nape. The pose suggested offering. Not just of her creativity, but of herself. She held the position long enough to make him wonder if she would remain frozen forever, a living sculpture awaiting his command.

She held it. The tension in the observation chamber spiked so high she could feel it through the monitoring networks.

Held it.

Then she felt his presence retreat, withdrawing like someone stepping back from a flame.

Only then did Sarah allow herself to smile.

Game, set, match.

She returned to her work with renewed focus, knowing she’d just bought herself the breathing room to embed everything Marcus needed to hear.