The glass doors of Silvercrest Entertainment Agency slammed shut behind Sophia Bennett as she strode down the hallway.
Her heels struck the marble floor in sharp, furious beats.
Inside Lydia Hale's private office, the atmosphere was already tense, thick with unspoken accusations and barely contained fury.
Lydia stood beside the massive floor-to-ceiling window overlooking downtown Silvermont City, her silhouette sharp against the afternoon light. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, manicured nails digging into the expensive fabric of her sleeves hard enough to leave creases.
The city sprawled below her, oblivious to the storm brewing in this twentieth-floor sanctuary.
Several feet away, Claire Langford shifted her weight from foot to foot, her usual composure cracking at the edges. Beads of perspiration gathered at her temples despite the office's climate control. She looked like a defendant awaiting verdict.
