From the moment the Crestwood-Redwood treaty was officially inked, Ethan had expected things to shift in his favor.
He had imagined at least the beginning of a thaw—perhaps not reconciliation, but opportunity.
What he didn’t expect… was war.
Not on paper.
Not with weapons.
But with paperwork.
Sophia had been formally appointed as Crestwood’s liaison for the alliance execution, overseeing implementation between the two territories.
Which meant—whether she wanted to or not—she was directly responsible for handling Ethan’s contracts, proposals, and communications.
And she made it very clear, very quickly:
She hated every moment of it.
It started with delays.
Basic documents Ethan’s team submitted for border coordination—ignored for three days.
When they were finally returned, red
