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Chapter 45: Cracks In Control
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2026-05-31 20:00:37The shift began quietly. Too quietly. That was what made it dangerous.
By mid-morning, Blackwood Enterprises was functioning as expected on the surface — meetings were held, reports were submitted, executives moved with their usual polished precision — but beneath that seamless structure, something had changed. It wasn’t visible in numbers alone, nor was it loud enough to trigger immediate alarm. It was subtler than that. It was hesitation. Aria noticed it first
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