POV: Lydia
I notice the change before anyone explains it.
Not because someone tells me.
Because the world becomes quieter.
Too quiet.
The first sign is the elevator.
Two security men stand inside when the doors open that morning. Not the usual discreet distance Adrian’s team keeps, but present. Visible. Impossible to ignore.
They nod respectfully.
“Good morning, Mrs. Cole.”
Mrs. Cole.
The title still lands differently every time.
I step inside slowly. The doors close behind me, sealing us into polished steel and silence.
One guard presses the lobby button before I can reach it.
“I can do that,” I say.
“Yes, ma’am.”
But he doesn’t move away from the panel.
The ride down feels shorter than usual, like the building itself has decided where I’m allowed to go.
Outside, another
