The morning sun rose slowly over Aurelia City, but the calm light did nothing to quiet the storm that had begun the night before.
Inside Ashford Tower, the executive floor buzzed with controlled activity. Assistants moved quickly between offices while security staff checked every entrance and elevator. The tension in the building reflected the significance of the announcement scheduled for later that morning.
Seraphina Vale stood in front of the mirror in the executive suite that Lucien had assigned to her. She wore a tailored cream-colored suit that looked professional and confident without appearing overly formal. She had chosen the outfit carefully because she knew that every camera lens in the city would examine her appearance during the press conference.
Her reflection stared back at her with steady eyes; the woman in the mirror looked calm. Seraphina knew that the calm expression was only a mask.
She had barely slept.
