Chapter 20: A Subtle Provocation

The suggestion was made where it could not be openly challenged.

It came during the final coordination review, a meeting structured to resolve logistics rather than revisit decisions. The room was fuller than it had been earlier in the week. Assistants lined the walls. Committee members occupied the long table. A few observers lingered under the guise of scheduling alignment.

Lillian took her seat without comment and opened her portfolio. The agenda had already been distributed. The centerpiece had been approved. The timelines were fixed.

Elena Whitmore arrived late enough to be noticed.

She did not apologize. She did not rush. She took her seat with practiced ease, exchanging brief greetings that carried familiarity without intimacy.

The coordinator cleared her throat. “We are nearly finished. There is one remaining item regarding visual oversight during the gala itself.”

Elena looked up. “If I may.”

The room stilled slightly. Not silence. Attention.

“I’ve been thinking about the cen