Seraphina did not believe in instincts that could not be tested. Awareness meant nothing without confirmation. Suspicion could exist quietly in the mind, but until it was proven, it remained a possibility, not a fact. She had lived long enough with consequences to understand the difference, so she decided to test it.
The morning began the same way it always did.
The schedule was structured, the timing precise, and every movement accounted for. The car arrived at the usual time. The route was already mapped. The first meeting was held at Ashford Tower with no room for delay.
Seraphina stepped into the car and closed the door behind her, her expression calm, her posture relaxed. Nothing about her suggested change; everything about her had already shifted.
"Take the main route," she said.
The driver nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
