The city was alive with noise, but Zara heard none of it.
She sat in her apartment long after midnight, the lights dim, the curtains half-drawn against the glow of the skyline. A cup of tea had gone cold on the table beside her, untouched. Her sketchbook lay open in front of her, the page blank, pencil resting across it like a weapon she had forgotten how to use.
Adrian Kane was gone. At least, officially. Security had escorted him out of the boardroom, his name dragged through numbers and trails he couldn’t deny. On paper, it was a victory. Leo had stood tall, Fred had presented their proof, and she herself had spoken with a clarity that surprised even her.
But Zara didn’t feel victorious. She felt… unsettled.
She pulled her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them. Her mind repla
