Audrey's article went live just after eight in the morning.
Arianne was already at her desk when the internal notification arrived. The winter light outside Rochefort Tower was pale and indirect, thinned by cloud, softening the edges of the buildings across the street. Her office remained quiet at that hour. The corridor beyond the glass wall was only beginning to fill.
She clicked the link without a second thought.
The headline was calm, almost careful. The subheading didn't try to stir anything up. Audrey had done exactly what she promised—kept it steady, kept it fair.
Arianne read every word. No skimming. No hunting for quotes to pull out or phrases to analyze. The writing felt clean and observant, almost deliberately restrained. It focused on continuity rather than drama.
Halfway through the piece, one line made her stop.
