Before she could press further, her earpiece crackled to life. She turned slightly, listening, then sighed. "Adrian wants to see you."
"Now?"
"Immediately."
"Great," Merlin muttered. "Just what I needed. Breakfast with the board."
Chairman Kael's office sat like a fortress atop the tower, panoramic glass, steel accents, and a quiet hum of power that felt more like an interrogation room than a workspace.
Kael stood behind his desk, staring out over the city.
"Mr. Everhart," he said without turning. "You're punctual."
"I try."
"Sit."
Merlin sat.
Kael turned, and for the first time, Merlin noticed the faint exhaustion in the man's face, not weakness, but calculation run to its edge.
"I heard you met with someone last night," Kael said.
Merlin didn't flinch. "…You have good sources."
"I have necessary sources." The older man's tone was even. "The industrial zone isn't a place for businessmen, Merlin. Not unless they're looking for ghosts."
