CHAPTER 36: RETURNING TIDES
The city greeted them like it had been waiting, restless and sharp, all glass towers and unfinished demands. By the time Lena and Elias stepped back into Calder–Moreau headquarters, their brief escape by the sea already felt like a beautiful rumor, something soft enough to doubt if the sun hadn’t still been in her skin. Her assistant met them before they reached the executive floor, tablet in hand, apology already prepared. “I tried to hold most of it,” she said carefully, “but there are three urgent matters, two board concerns, and one investor who believes patience is a myth.” Lena took the tablet, scanning quickly, and felt the familiar machinery of responsibility click back into place. It didn’t feel suffocating the way it once had. Just familiar. She glanc
