Unspoken Claim

a's

loud enough to get under her skin, like the persi

ed her knees back under her too-small desk, and ignored the scent o

cubicle, nestled in the outer ring of Virelux Corporation's twentieth

d grown used to the cramped quarters, the half-broken monitor s

she had

ed to. That's wha

backing, and no powerful surname wasn't supposed to slip through

she

ity that made people overlook her in meetings, Lyra had carved out a

No drama. No scent

with a glowing reference from the most notoriously selective corp

hing

hing

, eyes flicking over the digital clock

debrief. Five until she had to deliver printout

t. Everything she did was timed to the breath.

le partition. She didn't loo

id a voice, smooth,

Lyra's

d rose to her feet. "

ke a verdict in heels. She was dressed in tailored slate-gray, her blazer sharp enough to draw blood, hair pinned into a sleek knot that to

ts, internal dynamics monitoring, scent regulation policy, and discreet employee removals when

came out with their careers unraveling at the

desk. "You're requested to

nked. "E

ves this year. You've been selected to attend as part of the admin

yra's stomach dipped. "Ma

ngle flag," Mina said simply, almost like a compliment. "You're vis

y what Lyra had spent the pa

, tight. "

Lyra couldn't quite read, and walke

cubicle wall, "You're going to the gala? Damn, girl! T

a. Cassi

e

t the air like stormwind before he even turned the corner. And once, during a quarter

who never looked directly at anyone unle

hair, but something i

ant risk. And Lyra had spent too l

tinct. She'd seen what happened when an O

reak to ruin everything. Sh

her inbox, blinking and bold-"GALA