The meeting Arianne scheduled did not happen immediately.
That was the first mistake Marcus Hale made.
He assumed delay meant hesitation on her part. That silence meant reconsideration. When nothing followed her notice, no clarification, no correction, and no visible response, he relaxed.
The approval stalled again, and this time without pretense.
At the end of the week, he stopped waiting for confirmation. He started to create it.
He grew comfortable far too quickly. By the second delayed approval, he no longer pretended it was caution. Now, the timing was more intentional.
There were late responses, misplaced confirmations, and documents returned with entire sections flagged for additional review.
Arianne watched the patterns closely but said nothing.
She didn't correct him in public. Instead, she let the delays accumulate and let their effects ripple across departments.
When someone asked her a question, she answered calmly and directed them back down the chain.
