The Roosevelt Room stayed silent long after the door shut.
No one reached for their papers and no one spoke. Only the faint hum of the air vents and the steady tick of the wall clock broke the silence, continuously.
The Chief of Staff sat back slowly, eyes still fixed on the empty chair Liam had just left.
"Well," he muttered. "That was… something."
Across from him, the Treasury Secretary gave a dry laugh and rubbed his temples. "I don't even know what I just sat through. He didn't dodge a single question, but I still feel like we got nothing."
The DNI leaned forward, elbows on the table. "No, we got something. We just don't know what to do with it."
A low chuckle escaped the National Security Advisor. "You're not wrong. He talks like a man who's already rehearsed both sides of the conversation."
The Chief looked around the room, weary, as he asked, "Alright. Let's be honest. Who here understood what just happened?"
No one raised a hand.
