Chapter 82
Peace did not arrive with trumpets.
It arrived quietly, almost suspiciously, like a stranger standing at the door waiting to see if it would be welcomed.
Two months after Victor Hale's conviction, the world had moved on faster than Kiera expected.
News cycles shifted.
New scandals surfaced.
Markets stabilized.
The harbor facility had been demolished and rebuilt under government supervision.
And the name Victor Hale — once whispered in fear — now sounded almost ordinary.
But for Kiera, peace felt like standing on unfamiliar ground.
She didn't know where to place her weight.
The safehouse was quieter these days.
Half the tactical teams had been reassigned. Analysts returned to civilian contracts. Emergency alerts no longer buzzed through the walls at 3 a.m.
Even the air felt different.
Less tense.
More breathable.
Kiera stood in the kitchen, staring at a mug of coffee she hadn't touched.
"You're doing it again," Kade said from the doorway.
