Adrian didn’t notice the change at first and that was the cruel part of structural collapse—it rarely announced itself loudly. It just replaced things quietly. One function at a time. One dependency at a time, until the system stopped needing you without ever asking permission.
The first sign came from his assistant. She knocked once, stepped in, and placed a slim folder on his desk. “Your meetings for the week have been redistributed,” she said carefully.
Adrian frowned slightly. “Redistributed by who?”
A pause. Then—
“Executive coordination”, came her reply.
He leaned back slowly. “That’s not an answer.”
She hesitated. “It’s the only one I was given.” And just like that—she left. No lingering. No explanation. No fear. Just efficiency.
Adrian stared at the folder and something in
