Tuesday morning did not feel like a fresh start. It felt like a continuation. The alarm went off at six, the same sound as Monday, as Sunday, as the day before the trial. I silenced it before the second chirp. The room was dark, but the city outside was already gray with pre-dawn light. Marcus was asleep, his breathing steady. I slipped out of bed without waking him. The floorboards were cold, but I didn't feel the chill. I was already running through the day's agenda in my head. The Board review. The security briefing. The draft of the Policy Report.
I went downstairs. The kitchen was quiet. Bear lifted his head from the rug, thumped his tail once, and went back to sleep. I made coffee. The machine gurgled, a familiar sound that anchored me. I took the mug to the study. I didn't turn on
