Nervous energy carried me through my opening tasks at the club, my hands moving through familiar preparation routines while my mind stayed fixed entirely on finding an appropriate moment to speak privately with Cassius about everything the collector's frightening visit had revealed. Theo noticed my distracted mood but attributed it kindly to simple exhaustion, and I let the assumption stand rather than explaining the genuine crisis currently consuming my every waking thought. Something about carrying this fear alone through ordinary work felt increasingly unsustainable given how thoroughly it demanded my attention.
Cassius appeared during his usual early security rounds, and I caught his eye deliberately, hoping he would recognize my urgent need for private conversation despite the club's
