ARIA approached Daniel the moment Helena's security deposited him outside the gallery with the polite efficiency usually reserved for removing broken furniture from a luxury hotel lobby.
There are many ways a man can leave a building. Some walk out triumphant, others stagger out drunk, and a rare few depart to the sound of applause, but Daniel had managed to discover a fourth option entirely—being quietly, professionally discarded.
Helena's team hadn't dragged him out. That would have implied resistance, and resistance would have implied dignity.
Instead, they guided him toward the exit with the calm competence of people who had already calculated exactly how little effort he was worth, escorting him through the door with the kind of gentle firmness that suggested the entire situation had already been solved long before Daniel realized he was part of the equation.
