The next day, Caroline arrived super early, like the board meeting hadn't happened at all. The night wasn't as peaceful as it had been lately, since she was somewhat upset at Thorne. Dreaming about him didn't help.
Valorith at this hour was a quiet machine—soft lights, polished stone, a guard who looked at badges instead of faces. Caroline crossed the lobby without slowing and rode the elevator up with her eyes on the seam where the doors met.
Mia was already at her desk when Caroline stepped onto the floor. A headset rested beside a tablet, and a stack of printouts sat aligned to the corner like someone had measured them with a ruler.
“Morning, Ms. Hale," Mia greeted.
“Morning," Caroline answered, setting her bag down and waking her laptop. She didn't ask about the board. She didn't n
