Regardless of the swirling currents of gossip he’d left behind at the studio, Ethan Gray stayed only until midday before deciding he’d had enough of the production grind for one day. He headed home for lunch and chose not to return for the afternoon session. In the world of high-stakes television, a lead writer with his level of influence earned the occasional right to be a "slacker"—though he preferred to call it "creative recuperation."
He settled for lunch at "Heart’s Delight," a small, reliable eatery in the Old Quarter, before retreating to his apartment. By late afternoon, the humidity of the Riverport summer had begun to settle, and Ethan was stationed at his desk by the window, editing footage. The quiet was suddenly shattered by a familiar, high-pitched warcry from the courtyard
