Chapter 21
Cyrus Blackwood’s second visit was not for pleasantries. The air in the office did not change to a charged excitement this time. It grew thin and cold, like the air in the mountains just before a real storm breaks.
He arrived with two other people. A severe looking woman with a sharp haircut, holding a tablet like a shield. And a silent man in a perfectly fitted dark suit who stood by the door, not speaking, just watching everything with calm, empty eyes. This was not a friendly tour. It was an audit. An inspection.
He was there for the Horizon Pavilion project. Not to admire the design. He was there for the money. The numbers.
Lucien met him in the lobby with a broad, welcoming smile, but the smile was tight at the edges, pulled a little too wide. His crisp, white dress shi
