Chapter 27 What Remains

• The city exhaled.
• Morning light spilled through the windows of the Volkova penthouse, soft and forgiving, washing over the skyline like a balm. The chaos of weeks past had ebbed, leaving a quiet that felt almost unfamiliar. Traffic hummed below, sirens were fewer, whispers in high-rise offices had dimmed. The storm had passed, leaving behind a city that could finally breathe—and a set of lives transformed in its wake.
• Milady stood by the window, her arms crossed, the faintest smile brushing her lips. The skyline reflected in her golden eyes, sharp and vigilant even in the calm. She took in the streets, slick with the last traces of overnight rain, and felt the satisfaction that comes from a storm survived and a game won.