The first signs appeared in silence, not in headlines, in public statements, or in dramatic confrontations; people often imagined powerful companies collapsing through explosive events. The reality was much quieter; trust disappeared first and everything else followed.
Three days after Evelyn's public threat against Seraphina, Adrian arrived at Blackwell International's headquarters at seven in the morning. The building looked the same, the lobby remained spotless, and employees moved through security checkpoints with practiced efficiency. The elevators operated smoothly; nothing appeared different, yet Adrian felt it immediately.
The atmosphere had changed; people still greeted him respectfully, they still stepped aside when he walked through the hallways, and they still called him Mr Blackwell, but something underneath those interactions felt strained, careful, or measured, as though everyone were watching and waiting for something.
