Ava’s POV:
My foot lowers.
The decision is quiet. Almost unremarkable. That is what frightens me most. There’s no dramatic rush of courage, no surge of fear strong enough to stop me. Just movement. Forward. Chosen.
Daniel turns and walks without checking whether I follow. He already knows I will. People like him rely on momentum. On the human tendency to keep going once a path has been set.
The hallway outside the holding suite feels different now. Busier. Voices echo faintly from somewhere ahead. The house has shifted gears. Whatever contingency protocol means, it has a sound.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“Briefing room,” Daniel replies. “Then transport.”
“And if I refuse again?” I say.
He glances back at me. “Then we stop pretending this is voluntary.”
“That honesty would be ref
