The afternoon inside Walker Corporation felt heavier than the morning.
Something in the atmosphere had shifted.
Not in a way most employees would notice.
Phones still rang. Meetings continued. Analysts debated numbers in quiet conference rooms. Assistants carried documents from office to office. The steady rhythm of corporate life continued without interruption.
From the outside, everything remained perfectly normal.
But inside Kendrick Walker's private office, tension had begun to build.
Kendrick stood near the floor-to-ceiling windows, staring down at the city streets far below.
Cars moved in careful lines. Pedestrians crossed intersections. Traffic lights changed on schedule. The world outside followed predictable rules.
His hands rested loosely behind his back.
To anyone watching, he looked calm.
Composed.
In control.
But his mind was anything but calm.
The bond was getting stronger.
