Systems don’t fail when they’re attacked.

They fail when they’re pushed just far enough that their own weak points begin to argue with each other.

Amara understood that better than anyone.

She spent the morning not reacting — which, at this stage, was an act of resistance.

Julian sat across from her in the quiet conference room, blinds half-drawn, the city blurred into abstraction behind them. The table was scattered with printouts, legal notes, timelines marked in pencil. Evidence without drama. Facts without urgency.

“They’re probing,” Julian said. “Softly. Through proxies.”

“Of course they are,” Amara replied. “Direct pressure invites scrutiny.”

“And you?” he asked. “Still no statement?”

“No,” she...