Chapter 24

• The room felt less like a professional office and more like a minimalist theatre of chaos.
• It was a neutral conference room in the building dedicated to pre-trial mediation, furnished with just a large, polished oval table and six high-backed leather chairs. The lighting was fluorescent, harsh, and unforgiving, highlighting the weary circles under Renee’s eyes and the faint sheen of perspiration on Taylor’s perfectly composed face.
• Renee sat rigid, clutching the edges of the table as if it were the only anchor in a storm. She wore a simple, dark blazer, borrowed from Camila, to project an image of professional seriousness. Beside her sat Lacy Hurbert, her instructing solicitor. Lacy was middle-aged, sharp, and wore her seriousness like a shield, her expression guarded and utterly focused on the task at hand.