Chapter 74 The Hummingbird

• The city was alive with noise, but Zara heard none of it.
• She sat in her apartment long after midnight, the lights dim, the curtains half-drawn against the glow of the skyline. A cup of tea had gone cold on the table beside her, untouched. Her sketchbook lay open in front of her, the page blank, pencil resting across it like a weapon she had forgotten how to use.
• Adrian Kane was gone. At least, officially. Security had escorted him out of the boardroom, his name dragged through numbers and trails he couldn’t deny. On paper, it was a victory. Leo had stood tall, Fred had presented their proof, and she herself had spoken with a clarity that surprised even her.