Corren’s POV
The Singapore call ended at 11:47 a.m.
I closed the laptop, leaned back in the chair, and let the silence of the office settle around me. Through the glass wall I could still see Ava sitting where I had placed her—hands folded in her lap, back straight, the black dress I had chosen for her falling neatly over her knees. She had not spoken once during the entire meeting. She had simply watched, listened, and absorbed. That quiet obedience pleased me more than I expected.
I dismissed her with a look. She rose, murmured “Yes, Daddy,” and left the office with the soft click of the door. The scent of her lingered for a moment after she was gone. I allowed myself three seconds to remember the way she had trembled over my desk the night before, then locked the thought away. There
