Morning light filled the sitting room, catching on the glass and polished floor. The television on the far wall was on but silent. A news anchor changed expressions on the screen while a ticker moved below. Nothing surfaced. There were no speculative headlines or blurry images from a fence.
Franz sat on the sofa with a tablet in his hand. He read without urgency. His thumb moved slowly and absentmindedly, pausing at headlines that didn't hold him. A cup of coffee rested on the low table in front of him, with steam rising lightly before disappearing into the air.
Arianne sat across from him, looking at a brief from Rochefort Group. Her pen rested on the margin without writing anything. She ignored the television and didn't check her phone.
