The shift did not begin with a collapse. It began with a delay, and from a broader perspective, companies of Adrian's scale did not show weakness in obvious ways. The structures were too large, the systems too layered, and the public image too carefully maintained for a sudden failure to occur without warning. Instead, the first signs appeared in places that were easy to overlook unless someone was paying very close attention.
A payment cycle is extended by forty-eight hours.
A minor adjustment in projected liquidity.
A quiet reclassification of short-term obligations.
Individually, these changes did not attract attention. Together, they formed the beginning of a pattern.
Inside Adrian's headquarters, the numbers were reviewed in silence.
