Alpha Lir POV,
The silence I faced in Silvercrest was supposed to be a sanctuary. It was supposed to be the reward for a job well done.
But as I sat in the high-backed leather chair of my private study, the only sound I could hear was the rhythmic, hollow ticking of the grandfather clock in the hall.
It sounded like a slow mechanical heartbeat that mocked the frantic, jagged void behind my ribs.
I reached for the tablet on my desk, my fingers hovering over the glowing glass.
The silver market projections for the second quarter were trending upward, but the numbers were just shapes. I was the CEO of a multi-billion dollar metalwork empire, yet I couldn't focus on the margins. My mind kept slipping and sliding back to the stone corridor and the door that clicked shut with the finality
