The meeting came to an end, but the tension did not leave with it.
If anything, it settled deeper into the room, clinging to every surface, every glance, every unspoken conclusion drawn in silence. Chairs shifted back, files were gathered, quiet conversations began to form in low tones, but no one moved too quickly. There was a new awareness among them now, one that had not existed before Amelia walked in.
They had seen enough.
Enough to understand that something had changed.
It was subtle, but clear.
To the other board members, one thing stood out more than anything else—the distance between Alexander and Amelia.
It wasn’t loud.
It wasn’t dramatic.
But it was unmistakable.
There were no shared glances of familiarity, no quiet acknowledgment between them, no sign of a connection t
