Lyell watched Marston do as he was told motionlessly. She knew she had gotten what she wanted; there was no need for further words. Keeping a close eye on Marston's hands as he wrote, she was looking for any sign of treachery — not that she really expected Marston to do anything at this point, yet one could never be too careful. It was somehow disappointing that Marston didn't try to pull off anything daring, she thought. After all, weren't these people supposed to be tough, ruthless and uncaring for themselves and others? Marston's demeanor almost convinced her that he was merely an old man she had just broken.
Listening to him recording the message and providing irrefutable proof that he just did what he had done, she noticed the apprehension and tiredness in his voice, yet remained stoic. As he spoke, she collected the two documents and checked whether everything was in order, which it was, before putting them back into her binder. She heard Marston throw her PDA on the table, which she found rather rude, but given his situation, she could hardly fault him. Turning around, she simply said: "Thank you." As she watched Marston trod through the room and out the door, she couldn't help but allow herself a small smile.
![[Image: maYSx8o.png]](https://i.imgur.com/maYSx8o.png)