LOGINI ordered wine. The work wasn't finished. The room was quieter. She took the glass without comment. Drank. Set it down and kept writing. She spoke about the eastern corridor communities directly, without framing or adjustment, as if they existed in the room with us. Her hand moved as she talked, m
Edward's POV The door opened behind me. No knock. She came in already talking. "I need your numbers from Rotterdam before we fix anything else," she said. "The version you gave him assumes—" She stopped. I didn't turn immediately. Just reached for the towel, dragged it once over my face, then
The auctioneer's cadence moved through the wall. I had built something without him. That was still true. It would stay true. Whatever I said next didn't touch it. "I don't know," I said. "That's the honest answer. Not the managed version." I met his gaze. "I don't know if what's left is enough to
Alicia's POV The older man was still talking. "Seven years," he said. "Four jurisdictions. We moved water infrastructure across borders that hadn't spoken to each other in a generation." His hands traced corridors in the air between us. "The archive is the proof it happened. That it worked." He tu
“You entered without cause,” I said. “You stayed without one.” “I don’t know what this is between you two but—” “My wife.” No variation in tone. No additional weight needed. Alicia’s hand lifted a little, then halted mid-motion and settled again without completing the gesture. The woman exhaled
Edward’s POV “Forty thousand. Do I have forty-five?” The paddle was already raised. Alicia’s hand remained under mine, unchanged in position, as though neither of us had adjusted to its presence since it settled there. “Forty-five.” I raised. “Fifty. Fifty-five.” On the left, a man leaned forw
Alicia's POV The studio was quiet. I stood at the window, coffee going cold in my hand, watching the city move below. Saturday morning. The kind of light that made everything look more vibrant than it was. My laptop sat open on the desk behind me. I turned back to it. Sat down. The master time
Alicia's POV My phone buzzed on the desk. Delivery outside. I glanced at the time, it was already past noon. I'd been formatting campaign materials since mid-morning—budget breakdowns, stakeholder templates, contact sheets. The kind of work that requires focus but not creativity. I stood. Stret
Edward's POV I pulled into the family estate just after noon. The gravel crunched under my tires. The house rose ahead: stone, ivy, windows catching the afternoon light. I turned off the engine. Sat there. My phone had been silent all morning. No messages. No calls. Nothing. I got out. Walked
"You threw that." "Yeah." A pause. "That's... unexpected." "I'm full of surprises." His jaw moved. Just barely. But I saw it. "I came to see Lily," he said. Calm and measured. "Make sure she's getting proper follow-up care." I laughed. Sharp. Bitter. "Right. Because you care so much about my







