Chapter 15

• I woke before the sun again. Not from a nightmare, and not from panic. Just awareness. My body had started keeping its own rhythm now. A kind of survival beat. I moved through the darkness of the loft without switching on any lights. My bare feet were silent against the floor. I made tea instead of coffee, letting the bitterness steep more slowly.
• There was no script for this morning. No checklist to pull from a drawer and mark through. This felt like a day that would test not my planning, but my persistence.
• At the desk, I opened my laptop. The screen lit with a soft glow. I read each message slowly, letting their implications settle across my chest like quiet weights. Chicago had officially resumed operations. Boston asked for a timeline update. Los Angeles sent thanks for the clarity. It was progress. But it was also pressure. They were watching more closely now. They would not allow another misstep.