Alessandro had quietly instructed his guards to prepare black attire for Bella.
When it was brought to her, she changed without comment. The outfit hugged her body closely, fitting her from shoulders to waist, clean and sharp, leaving no loose fabric. It felt unfamiliar, a little uncomfortable, but she did not say a word. This was not the moment to complain.
When she stepped out, Alessandro glanced at her briefly, then looked away.
She slid into the car beside him, the door shutting with a solid thud. Before the engine even turned over, Alessandro passed her the tablet.
Bella took it. The car began to move, and her fingers were already moving across the screen. Her posture straightened, the exhaustion pushed aside by a razor-sharp focus. The interface shifted, layers of access peeling back as she drilled down. She pulled up a satellite overview of City F, the grid of streets and buildings spreading beneath her like a circuit board.
