Victory, it turned out, was a frantic, administrative beast. The Harringtons’ decision was a starting pistol, not a finish line. In the week that followed, Liam’s studio became a hive of chaotic creation of a different sort. Marco, now officially Chief Operations Officer of Thorne & Reed (a title he accepted with a snort and another six-pack), tackled the mountain of logistics: business licenses, liability insurance, setting up a bank account with the retainer from the Harringtons. The hum of the printer, spitting out W-9s and incorporation documents, replaced the sound of the saw.
Evelyn lived in a blur of video calls with the Harringtons’ newly appointed, no-nonsense project manager, a woman named Gail who had the demeanor of a retired general and a terrifying eye for budget line items.
