POV: Dante
Before the meeting, I linger in the hallway on the twelfth floor, leaning against the wall opposite Aurora's room.
An hour ago, when I asked her what she wanted me to defend on her behalf, she didn't hesitate as much as I feared she would.
"I don't want anyone talking about me as if I were property," she said.
"I want you to say that I'm not active in any project, nor am I a resource for any clan. And that I'm not going to Valcourt. That much is clear to me."
She didn't say "I want Noir." But she did say "I don't want them."
Sometimes, that's something.
The meeting room is three floors up. It has no windows, only light wood paneling and a long glass table. It seems neutral. It is not.
At one end, Noir's coat of arms. At the other, two chairs reserved for Valcourt. The third actor, a minor clan, has already arrived and is pretending to be more relaxed than he is.
