Chicago was cold in a different way than New York.
Flatter. More direct. The wind off the lake had no patience for anyone and made no apologies about it. Aria stepped out of the taxi at the conference hotel and felt it immediately — the particular cold of a city that didn't soften its edges for visitors.
She liked it.
The summit ran across two days.
Day one was panels — corporate governance, whistleblower protections, regulatory frameworks. Aria attended three sessions and took notes with the focused attention of someone who understood she was simultaneously a participant and a student. The people in the room were good. Experienced. Working on the same problems from different angles.
She met James Whitfield Junior at the afternoon coffee break.
She recognized him from the profile pie
