rips over tangled bedding. Up on one elbow, he stretched. A look passed across the room, the small apartment nothing like Adrian Vale's

ch press waited, a familiar shape in his hands. Years had shaped how he handled it just right. Water heating up. Beans crushed fresh. Smell spread

Jasper, called from the other room.

curled up as he filled a cracked cup with the thick brew, fingers warming. Grum

iving room. "Alright, I'll stay quiet,"

's skyline, but rougher, wilder somehow. That messiness suited him just fine.

li paid attention to how things looked, his job demanded it, really, he never chased flawlessness. Gettin

through. With a flick, he joined the line

ut hesitation. "Navarro

iew before the 10 a.m. meeting. And can you prepare the summary for Mr. Alvar

. "I'll have it read

istract you today. Focus." Donovan

sharp. Right. Sharpness came naturally. Smoother than othe

ers on the screen. Each fact held weight. Choices carried consequences. One wrong line in a contract, one missed c

smells hit fumes, warm bread, a trace of sea air carried inland. Air filled his lungs like routine. Noise and m

o sounds filling the quiet. No real reply came from Eli, he stayed shut. They moved slow, took up

, while the hush of cool air whispered through the walls. Down into the chair he went, f

gainst the wood, s

ur 10 a.m. briefing with Alvarez has been confirmed. Conference room

hanks, Chloe.

y for him?" she asked

. "I always am. He d

careful. Some people have a way of getting under

bit, he said i

s head, clean, exact, steady. Nothing pulling at him, no messy ties, nothing left open to atta

have been the unease Donovan let slip earlier. Might simply be how mornings un

k. Coffee cup empty now, just a dark ring inside. His fingers tugged the knot of his tie straight

s phone vibrated with a message. It ca

Things are not alwa

less than that. Games took seconds he did not have. His desk stayed clean.

and order, moved like clockwork. Here, things bent to his rhythm. Power sat close.

ing he had arranged so neatly, push against the grip he held so tigh

kfast mattered most. Handling each case came next. After that, m