Chapter 55 - CH 54 - The Forging

The encounter with Robert Stirling left a phosphorescent trail of anxiety in its wake, a ghost that flickered at the edge of their vision for days. Adrian moved through the shop with a renewed, almost grim intensity, his focus on the Jaguar so absolute it seemed he was trying to weld his own certainty into its frame. Every precise adjustment of a carburetor, every torque measurement on a cylinder head, felt like a ritual warding off the specter of his past. Amelia, in turn, attacked the paperwork with a ferocious dedication, creating a meticulously organized file she labeled simply, "The Defense." It contained every document related to the secret trust, the business formation, and the liquidation of the Vale assets, a fortress of facts built to withstand any siege. She cross-referenced every transaction, every invoice, creating a narrative of transparency so stark it would blind anyone looking for shadows.