The building didn’t try to impress.
Blackwood Companies stood apart—not louder, not larger, just… quieter. Glass and steel, stripped of excess. No banners. No noise. No need to prove anything.
Emma stepped inside.
The lobby was nearly empty. No waiting crowd. No movement beyond what was necessary.
Efficient.
Controlled.
The receptionist looked up immediately.
“Ms. Laurent.”
Not a question.
Emma paused for half a second, then nodded. “I have an interview.”
“Yes,” the woman replied, already reaching for a folder. “You’re expected.”
Expected.
Emma didn’t react.
But she noticed.
She hadn’t applied.
*****
Across the city, something didn’t add up.
Brian stood in front of the monitor, watching the footage again.
“Play it.”
The technician hesitated. “Sir, that’s the full file—”
