❀ Clark ❀
Friday morning felt different. Not because of the sun streaming through the office windows or the soft clink of my coffee mug against the marble desk, but because it was done. I stood in the middle of my now nearly empty office at Mason Empire’s city headquarters. The skyline stretched out before me, the view I used to admire daily, without ever really seeing it. For years, this space had been everything: my sanctuary, my battlefield, my badge of pride. Now, it felt like a past life. Nancy stood across from me, her tailored blazer crisp, her expression composed and quietly confident.
“The handover papers are in order,” she said, as she slid the final folder toward me. “All that’s left is your signature,” I picked up the pen. And I didn’t hesitate. The ink glided across the page
