Chapter 147

• Third person POV
• The sun rose over Sydney with a brilliance that seemed almost symbolic. This was it—the day they had all been working toward, the day Yoshida’s event would set the tone for months, maybe years, to come. The hotel was a hive of movement that morning, with staff running errands, deliveries arriving, and the six of them—Nathan, Claire, Ivan, Margeaux, Seymour, and Jeremy—caught in a whirlwind of preparations.
• Claire was already awake before sunrise, her nerves buzzing as she stood in front of the mirror, studying her reflection. She hadn’t even tried on her launch-day dress yet; it was carefully laid out on the bed in its sleek garment bag, waiting for its moment. She sipped a cup of strong black coffee as Thomas, who had flown in with Nathan to assist them personally, fussed over small details in her suite.