The room smelled of old money and quiet power. The lighting was not harsh. Just enough to keep everyone aware of who was watching whom.
People were already arriving when Alice stepped in, heels echoing softly against the tiled floor. Conversations hummed in clusters—some polite, others sharp and clipped. The air was laced with tension, like everyone knew something could shift at any moment.
The room she had been led to was different from the one she had been in before during the first emergency meeting that started all this madness.
She spotted the two older women among the legal team, giving her the bombastic side eye. Like she had committed treason by agreeing to stand for Hades. To be fair, she hadn't even submitted it to them. She received the report only after leaving Hades' place, after he almost strangled her. How could she say otherwise to that?
Hades was not in the room. Neither was Gavin.
