Sloane's POVBy two o'clock in the morning, the primary command center on the executive penthouse floor was engulfed in a deep, absolute quiet. The external lights of the city below flickered like a vast carpet of stars, bounded strictly by the illuminated transport arcs and automated supply lines of our central grid. Within the suite, the air remained a silent, perfect eighteen degrees Celsius, smelling faintly of rich leather, dark wood, and crushed cedar.I stood before the main projection glass, wearing a fluid column gown of brushed obsidian silk. My reflection stared back at me—cool, collected, and entirely untainted by fatigue. The platinum chain at my throat felt warm against my collarbone now, a subtle physical anchor amidst the endless streams of silver data flowing silently across the interface."The early European market handshakes have pre-settled without a single variance token, Mother," Alexander reported, stepping out from his office onto the upper level. He had shed h
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