“Ma’am, did you see the news this morning?”

Mila rushed into the workshop, her face anxious, a tablet clutched in her hand. Rosemary, who had just switched on the sewing machine, turned her tired, swollen eyes toward her with little interest.

“What is it this time?” Her voice was faint, weak.

Mila hesitated before handing over the tablet. “Adrian Corp… they’ve just announced a new contract with foreign investors. The value… it’s in the trillions, ma’am.”

The needle slipped from Rosemary’s hand and clattered onto the floor. Her eyes widened as the screen showed Adrian beaming at a press conference. Beside him, Cassandra stood in an elegant gown, like a...