The conference room had always felt too cold to Amelia.
Too much glass. Too much polished steel. Everything sharp-edged and reflective, as though the space itself expected people to be guarded. Usually, she liked that. Structure made sense. Predictability made her feel anchored.
Today, it only made her restless.
She adjusted the tablet in her hands and took a steady breath as the final slide illuminated the screen behind her.
“As you can see,” she said, keeping her tone even, professional, “the projected growth for Q3 depends heavily on strategic partnerships rather than expansion. We don’t need more branches. We need stronger alliances.”
There were murmurs of agreement around the table.
Then she felt it.
That subtle prickle at the back of her neck.
Amelia’s gaze lifted instinctive
