The house was unusually quiet the morning after the expo.
Angel woke later than usual, her body heavy from the kind of exhaustion that came from doing something big, something that demanded every piece of courage she had. Sunlight poured softly through the curtains, warm against her face, and for a moment she just lay there, breathing.
Then she remembered.
The expo.
The smiles.
The orders.
The way people had listened to her.
The way Dean had looked at her was like she had just done something incredible.
A small smile touched her lips.
For the first time in a long time, she felt… proud.
Not relieved.
Not lucky.
Not surprised.
Proud.
She sat up, stretching slowly, and reached for her phone. Messages filled her screen. New orders. Thank-you notes. A message from the expo organiz
