The hum of activity in the office was faint but steady, a comforting rhythm that spoke of renewal. Boxes of files, folders, and supplies were scattered across the polished floors of Adrian's newly established firm. It was smaller than Blackwood Holdings had ever been, lacking the grandeur, the opulence, and the intimidating aura of its predecessor—but it had something far more precious: possibility.
Elena sat at the large wooden desk in the center of the office, laptop open, fingers flying across the keyboard. She was drafting emails to prospective clients, her tone professional yet persuasive, carefully balancing assertiveness with warmth. Her mind darted from numbers to proposals, budgets to strategies, but always returned to the thought that had occupied her since morning: they were starting over. Not from zero, exactly, but from a place stripped of pretense, politics, and power plays.
