"Chief Sinclair, Chief Ward, you simply must join us. Every administrator in the Park is eager to welcome you both properly."
Director Quinn delivered the invitation with a smile he couldn't quite keep humble. His gaze slid toward Ambrose Ward, and the faintest curl of mockery settled at the corners of his mouth, as natural there as breath. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, chest pushed forward slightly, radiating the particular satisfaction of a man who had watched his enemy walk into a wall and understood that the wall would never move. Around him, a handful of junior officials lingered at a respectful distance, pretending to study their phones while they absorbed every word.
It didn't matter how hard Ambrose had dug, how many late nights he'd burned through chasing thre
