Night had fallen again over Crescent City.
But inside Styles Industries, the lights on the top executive floor were still burning.
Riley stood alone in the conference room.
For the past few days now, he has constantly been impressed with a certain someone's work.
The long glass table was empty now, but the holographic plans for the Christmas Holiday Event still hovered faintly above its surface—layouts, lighting grids, crowd flow designs, and security overlays.
Stephanie's work.
And even if he has been impressed by her work, he still studied it silently.
Precise.
Elegant.
Efficient.
Every pathway accounted for. Every emergency exit mapped with surgical logic. Even the placement of music stages and dining tables had tactical reasoning behind them.
It was… impressive.
Riley reached forward and rotated the projection slightly.
"Adaptive exit corridors…" he murmured to himself.
Then he noticed something.
A small note embedded in the design.
