tory-but not a final one. Like a fault line under a city, t

rning when Clara r

subject. J

he's gone.

nd beneath it, a timestamp and coordinates

His expression didn't change

omes with y

ep treating every warning like a th

hen nodded. "Then I

usted, graffiti like battle scars. Inside, the air was thick with dust and t

dgets. Contracts m

e had set up years ago under the guise of "foreign logistics." But the

. "He's been laundering

ry page. "We bring this to t

ered. "Why leave it w

ne wants us to find it now. This

ou think this isn't a

nk this storm is

, the tension in th

had been right-accounts tied to shell companies all traced back to a private fund c

lled for his

orne v

ce was cleaned out, his access cards deactivated.

Alexande

nced. "He's not gone.

e was

project-was hit with a cease-and-desist order. A legal firm, previousl

sible?" she aske

ecords were recently updat

s laundering sabotage through proxies now. Shell companie

ists. "We can't let

we need more than a legal r

nized a press event at the mural w

Musicians played, kids painted, and Clara stood in front of

at painted it, every child who dreamed through it. It is not

he city would block any effort to destroy the

enough-

nder received an

B drive and

t begun to see h

gn subsidiaries-dated three years back. Workers in unsafe condition

as T

ce, fists clenched. He

was infected deeper

saw the footage. "If this is systemic, if th

company. Destroy investor trust. Shut

"And what's the

voice echoing like a ghost

o pub

few days

press conference. They didn't spin. Th

rs from years past," Alexander said. "We are launching an independent inv

out was

Analysts screame

, something rem

owers cam

s, names. Clara and Alexander found themselv

ckon

wall-untouched, glowing in the sunset-Clara ask

dn't answer

h the easy road had

ly. "Do you thin

e already did. We ch

, her pho

from Cam

g. Investors have a cou

ng, the boardr

r. "Sterling can no longer operate as a legacy emp

turned-

dedicated solely to ethical redevelopment, urban transforma

le

ou want me to...

e want you to reim

t her, eyes shinin

hen let's build somethi

e skyline of Philadelphia stretched before her, but her mind was racing somewhere deeper-through timeline

e vibrat

er me

ber. N

u

ard. This goes high

-a secon

older man in a charcoal suit, face turned slightly, but not enough to

involved in security and pr

d the photo

later,

d to me

e Square-neutral ground, public, and alw

ut if she's talking to people like that, this isn't

urning the Civic Div

age, buy time, divert attention

hey burn the surface

id, "was that the person they handed

we don't just lead Sterling Civic-w

"That's the

ed her new office. Bigger than her old one. M

she sen

mediate Aud

tment Heads,

rty ethical audits. All partnerships will be reviewed for conflic

a, Director,

hour, Cami

aves," she said,

lied simp

planners, data scientists, and community organizers. No career politicians. No corporate yes-men. Every

built, resi

ut notice. Her calls to certain city departments went unans

ou're being isolated," he sa

e push

was all polished glass and champagne, donors and officials. Clara wore midnight blue.

en who once served under him, now whispering with in

ed Clara midway

bold," s

. "I had a g

ou know, sometimes the system doesn't need t

sometimes the steering wh

reful, Clara. Not everyone at t

g on it," Cl

s banner-a revitalization plan for South Kensington-was hit with

ss-checked those permits f

wing clerks was hired last month. Background sc

ore," she said. "This is coordinated. Higher

grimly. "Then w

sis Project-an initiative buried ten years ago, funded under an 'infrastructure resil

-familiar names, old signatures

ned off

s not the

d once more at the mur

fade in places. But t

e we building if we can

r, a voic

hting it up, Clara. No

held out his phone. "

her enough rope," she was saying, "she'll either ha

let's make sure it's a noo