Returning to the office felt like stepping onto a battlefield still smoldering from the last war. The office seemed the same at first glance. The window and all that were in the same place, but the subtle hum of energy felt different. There was something beneath the usual bustle, like the soul of the place had shifted while I was gone.
It wasn't until I was walking down the hall towards the room I usually worked in that I realized what it was.
Too many desks were empty.
Too many familiar names no longer had nameplates outside their offices.
The aftermath of the first court days had hit harder than I expected. Between internal audits, forced resignations, and Arielle's legal demolition team dragging skeletons into the light, the office had been practically gutted. I wondered how much fa
