Chapter 73 - Chapter 73: The Preparation

The morning light fell across the dining table in long, slanted rays, catching the edge of a coffee cup and the corner of a tablet screen, throwing soft shadows across the wood. Aaron sat alone, the villa quiet around him, Sophie still upstairs, the only sound the distant call of a bird across the lake. The EU meeting materials were spread before him in digital form — a briefing document prepared by Tom's team that ran forty-seven pages, a summary of the committee's jurisdiction and concerns, and a set of talking points that Jessica had refined three times before sending them the night before, each version tighter than the last.