Chapter 16: First Words

Nathaniel Crosswell did not approach Lillian Bloom immediately.

That restraint was deliberate.

He remained near the edge of the hall, jacket folded neatly over his arm, attention seemingly divided between a quiet exchange with Lucas and the larger room beyond them. In truth, he was observing the structure itself. The spacing between people. The way conversations formed and dissolved. The way authority moved without needing to be named.

The installation boards stood at the center of the activity, their clean lines already drawing attention without spectacle. Lillian stood beside them, reviewing measurements with a coordinator whose posture had grown increasingly careful since Nathaniel’s arrival.

Lucas leaned slightly toward Nathaniel. “She’s finalizing.”

“I can see that,” Nathaniel replied.

He stepped forward.

The coordinator noticed first. Her voice faltered mid sentence, then steadied as she turned. “Mr. Crosswell.”

Nathaniel acknowledged her with a nod. “Continue.”

She did, though