The drive back from Apex Auto was quieter than usualNot silent: Rose had music playing low through the speakers, some slow jazz instrumental she used when she didn’t feel like talking as the ride felt slower than necessary.Ryan sat in the passenger seat with one arm against the window, gaze fixed on the passing city.Traffic rolled around them in slow afternoon waves. Pedestrians crossed intersections with umbrellas tucked under their arms despite the clear weather. Ryan did not notice any of that.Beside him, Rose drove with both hands on the wheel.That alone said enough.Normally, Rose filled space instinctively. She liked conversations tilted toward her control—liked steering attention with observations, teasing remarks, little performances that kept other people reacting instead of thinking too hard. But since leaving the showroom, she had spoken only twice.Neither of them seemed eager to become the first person to say what they were both thinking.Ryan’s phone buzzed against

“…That’s new.”“This morning,” he said.Elise stepped outside without closing the book. She moved downstairs, as her eyes was fixed on the car“Benjamin Wayne,” she murmured. “What exactly have you bought?”“A vehicle.”Elise resisted the urge to roll her eyes “Thank you. Very clarifying.”Benjamin leaned lightly against the side of the car.Elise walked around the front slowly, studying details without rushing. Unlike Ryan or Chris, she didn’t react with visible fascination toward expensive things. She observed it calmly as her lips curved upwards.“It suits you,” she said finally.“That sounds concerning.”“No,” Elise replied. “It’s composed. Slightly intimidating. Expensive without announcing itself every three seconds.” Her gaze lifted toward him. “Very you, actually.”Benjamin smirked “That doesn't seem like an insult, is it?”“You should be grateful I didn’t compare you to German engineering.”He opened the passenger door for her.“Come with me.”Elise looked down at the textbo

The following afternoon, Benjamin sat near the window of a café two streets from the Golden Front, reviewing a Mercury Corporation subsidiary report Martha Matthews had forwarded earlier that morning.The café was quiet at this hour.A server moved between tables collecting empty cups while muted conversation drifted softly through the room.Benjamin had nearly finished the report when his phone vibrated beside the documents.Iris Reed.He answered.“Benjamin.”“Iris.”“Are you attending the gala?”.Benjamin leaned back slightly in his chair. “Has this become a campaign based on co-operation?”“Elise mentioned she spoke to you.”“And?”“She said you sounded unconvinced.”Benjamin glanced toward the window. “I said I was considering it.”“Which usually means no.”He took in a deep breath“You and Elise are strangely aligned on this.”“We’re aligned because you’re approaching the situation incorrectly.”That pulled his attention fully back to the conversation.“Oh?”“Yes.” Iris said in

The chancellor understood donor events well enough not to stand too long on a podiumHis remarks lasted barely ten minutes: gratitude to the university board, acknowledgement of the families funding the new research wing, and a brief celebration of Memoville's continued expansion.When the applause faded, the room loosened immediately.Conversations reopened. The chairs shifted. The waitress moved between tables carrying trays of champagne while the string quartet near the eastern wall transitioned into something lighter.The real evening began after the speeches.Benjamin remained seated beside Elise for a few moments, one hand resting lightly against his glass as his attention moved across the hall.Around them, the gala reorganized itself into smaller territories.Trustees drifted toward donors.Parents introduced children to executives.Students made themselves important.Elise’s parents had recovered their footing since Benjamin’s arrival. Her father was speaking with a universit

The gala ended at ten-thirty.The guests were already engaging in discussions as some of them were trying to create new connectionsBenjamin came down the staircase alone.His driver was already waiting at the curb. The door opened before Benjamin reached the car, the motion smooth and practiced. He got in without breaking stride.For several minutes, Benjamin said nothing. His arm rested against the door, fingers loose near the glass while the streetlights moved across his reflection in intervals. The gala replayed itself in fragments rather than sequence—Reed Peters’ handshake, Ryan watching from across the room, Elise’s father sitting down at the table with an apologetic expression on his faceAnd beneath all of it sat the same realization that had followed him for weeks now:The distance between private reality and public knowledge was narrowing.His phone buzzed against the armrest.The butler.Benjamin answered.“How was the evening, Mr. Wayne?”“Useful,” Benjamin said.The butl