The sun woke us late. It was past nine when I opened my eyes, the light filtering through the curtains in a way that suggested the morning was already well underway. There was no alarm, no urgent buzzing from a phone, no security briefing scheduled for eight. Just the quiet hum of the house settling into the rhythm of a Sunday. I stretched beneath the duvet, feeling the lingering ache in my muscles from the tension of the previous week. The launch event had been a success, but the adrenaline required to sustain that level of focus for ten days had left a physical residue. My shoulders felt tight. My eyes felt dry. But beneath the exhaustion, there was a profound sense of relief. It was done. The book was out. The message was sent.
I rolled over. Marcus was still asleep. He was lying on hi
