Isabella Vance's awakening was never interrupted by loud alarms, but by the gentle adjustment of the smart curtains that allowed the filtered light from the Upper Zone to bathe her room in a warm, golden glow.
Unlike Lohan, who woke up amid the smell of mold and the flickering light of a broken refrigerator in the darkness caused by the polluted, heavy clouds of the Lower Zone, Isabella opened her eyes surrounded by synthetic silk sheets that regulated her body temperature to what she found most pleasant.
As soon as she sat up, two servants silently entered the room, bringing heated towels and a selection of essential oils for her morning hygiene. As she went through the ritual of being pampered, Isabella felt a slight disappointment. With Evelyn once again absent to attend to Vance Group business, her routine was returning to normal, and that included breakfast prepared by her personal cook.
