But Chloe was participating in it.

I watched her disagree respectfully with Patricia on one point and ask for a different option.

Six months earlier, such a conversation might have frightened her.

Now she held her ground.

That night, I received a message from an old colleague at the shipyard who had heard rumors about my visit to the Harrington estate.

He asked whether I needed help making people “understand the consequences.” I stared at his words for a long moment and then called him.

“No,” I said.