After the town hall, Camellia stayed behind. She approached Sophie quietly.

“I was going to resign,” she said. Sophie nodded. “I know.”

“I wrote the letter. Tore it up. Wrote another one. Then burned that.”

Sophie smiled. “So what now?”

Camellia held out a new letter.

Inside: a full outline of the next phase for the Transparency Division—how to monitor misuse of legacy wealth in global aid.

Sophie skimmed it, impressed.

“You’re not just staying,” she said. “You’re rising.”

Camellia’s hands trembled.

“I’m still scared.”

“So am I,” Sophie whispered. “But we don’t get to stop just because we’re shaking.”

***

In Milan, Alexander faced the family one final time....