(Joseph POV)
I arrive at the head office before sunrise.
The city is still half-asleep, lights blinking lazily in distant towers, streets below unusually calm. I like this hour. No voices. No expectations. No one asking me to be anything other than a man alone with his thoughts.
The elevator ride up feels longer than usual.
When the doors open to my floor, the silence greets me like an old companion. I loosen my tie, shrug off my coat, and place it neatly over the back of my chair. The glass wall behind my desk reflects my image faintly—controlled, composed, untouched.
Appearances matter.
I wake my tablet and begin reviewing the overnight reports Gregory had queued for me.
Media monitoring.
Social listening.
Internal communications.
So far, nothing has leaked.
No headlines. No whispers loud enough to reach the public eye.
