The three-day deadline from Mr. Finch felt less like a constraint and more like an execution date. Living under Victoria's cool, calculated gaze and knowing that Henry’s Contingency Plan—likely some swift, brutal corporate expulsion or worse—was ready for activation, frayed Noel’s composure. The Iron CEO mask was beginning to chafe. He needed an anchor, a reminder of what he was fighting for, and that anchor was only found in the quiet, dangerous proximity of his family.
He broke his own rule. He made an unscheduled, unplanned trip back to the coast, driving straight through the night. He knew Ariel would be furious if she knew he was risking the perimeter, but the desperate need to confirm the safety and reality of his daughters outweighed the fear of her displeasure.
He left his car
