The moment couldn't have lasted more than five seconds.

A blank, unapologetic stare appeared, his mouth clamped shut, his buttoned-down humor was nowhere to be found, and he repeated himself. This was the culmination of the conversation.

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She looked at him as if she were trying to will some sort of humanity out of him but he glared back even more intently as if to resist any potential urge, almost daring her to say something to challenge him. He knew that if he stared hard enough, she would understand that questioning him was a wasted effort, because there's no sense of empathy to appeal to. Keep the conversation pragmatic at all costs, and don't even think about bringing conscience into it.

He didn't get to his position by pandering to abstract theories, and nowhere in this world was such a thing welcomed. Act accordingly within the rules, and leave the consequences for someone else to deal with.

Their eyes remained locked. She had a look of confusion and anticipation on her face, blindly hoping he was going to say something to put her mind at ease. She explored his eyes in hope that they would soften, but instead found something much more revealing. In that moment, it all made sense. Everything he said and did up to this point was consistent with how he's acting now.

She suppressed that empty feeling in her stomach. Her knees buckled and her hands trembled, but she instantly steadied herself. It felt almost euphoric for her, as her eyes hardened, her chest tightened, and her thoughts clouded. A sheepish smile crept over her face, as she realized that all that anguish was unnecessary, and she felt embarrassed that she ever questioned him to begin with.

Their stare lingered for one more breif moment, before he turned away and got back to work. She looked at her feet, sat down next to him, and put the TV on, the conversation they just had being the furthest thing from her mind.