Chapter 34
The city never forgave a scandal, and Bruce Ford’s explosion at the dinner table had traveled faster than the dessert trays that night. Guests who had once raised their glasses to him now whispered with the careful delight of those watching a man of power stumble. The name Bruce Ford, once a weight of respect, carried with it a new echo: instability.
By morning, the office carried the stain of the evening. Conversations hushed when Bruce walked by. Staff looked down at their desks, pencils suddenly fascinating, folders suddenly urgent. Even silence felt louder, as though every employee had joined the same unspoken pact: watch him crumble, but do not get caught in the rubble.
Ariel kept her eyes on her notepad, her pen scratching quick notes, but her thoughts were sharper than
