Naomi’s Pov

The silence after the hearing wasn't a relief. It was a vacuum.

I felt it the morning after, standing by the window with a mug of coffee I wasn’t drinking. The city looked the same. Traffic. Sirens far off. People moving like nothing had shifted. But inside the building, everything felt recalibrated, like the walls themselves were waiting to see what came next.

Cassian was on the phone when I woke up. Low voice. Controlled. He didn’t pace. He stood still, listening more than speaking. When he noticed me, he lifted his hand slightly. Not to stop me. Just to say he saw me.

I didn’t interrupt.

When...