“I have analyzed the data from the last eighteen months, Marcus, and the conclusion is statistically undeniable. Our collaborative efficiency increases by approximately twenty-four percent when we are in the same physical proximity for more than six hours a day.”

Amara didn’t look up from her tablet. She sat in the high-back leather chair of her home office, the blue light of the screen reflecting in her sharp, rectangular glasses. Her posture was a masterclass in ergonomic perfection—spine straight, shoulders relaxed, wrists at the ideal angle for typing. On the desk before her sat two cups of black coffee, both exactly 175 degrees Fahrenheit when served, and a digital clock...