Chapter 143

• After the decision was made, I called the staff into the workshop. Some of them were still mid-task, and I could see the hesitation in their faces, the small glance toward the clock that meant they thought this was going to be another routine announcement.
• Claudia stood near the back, arms crossed, not in defiance but in quiet solidarity. Julian stayed by the doorway, letting the space belong to the people who worked here every day.
• I told them about the test results, about the supplier switch, about what it meant for the next few months. I didn’t soften it or try to dress it up as an “opportunity” or a “creative challenge.” I just told the truth.