The penthouse did not return to silence immediately after Lorrlyne left with the family driver.
The doors closed, the elevator descended, and yet the space held onto movement for a while longer, as if it needed time to believe that the surge of people, decisions, and authority had actually passed. The scent of food lingered in the air. Containers rested where they had been placed with purposeful excess. Zana slept in Zane's arms; her small body heavy with that particular trust only sleep could manage.
Jordan remained.
He stood near the table, jacket still on, posture unassuming but alert, a man who understood that timing mattered as much as content. He did not open the folder immediately. He did not reach for anything at all. He waited until the room settled enough to hear breathing again.
