The next morning, they did. Gavin, Tanya, and Elliot showed up at her hotel, their faces drawn, their confidence gone.
Gavin went first, his voice low, almost pleading. “Ms. Vale, I’ll step down. All of us.
Just give Orion a chance.” Tanya was next, her eyes wet, her hands clutching Lysandra’s arm.
“I was just following rules. I didn’t mean it.” Elliot couldn’t meet her eyes. “I’ll take the blame,” he mumbled.
“All of it.” Lysandra looked at them one by one, her face calm.
She stepped back, freeing her arm from Tanya’s grip.
“When I was on that plane,” she said, her voice soft but clear. “Did any of you say stop?”
The question hung there, unanswered. The silence was louder than any words.
At a small diner across town, Lysandra met Claire for lunch. The two of them tucked into a corner booth.
