Morning came quickly.
By the time sunlight crept through the curtains, Sylvie was already awake, staring at the ceiling. The sense of relief she’d felt the night before lingered.
She got ready for work in silence.
Ryan was already waiting when she came downstairs, dressed and alert as usual, as if he hadn’t slept at all. They exchanged only a brief greeting and had breakfast before heading out. The drive to work passed without conversation. As usual.
At Wilfred Dynamics, she stepped into her routine. Emails. Meetings. Notes scribbled in the margins of documents. She focused.
Across the city, Cole Wilfred arrived at the main Wilfred establishment earlier than usual. His office was quiet, the air heavy with anticipation. Then his phone rang.
He picked up the phone and checked the scree
