The invitation arrived at 8:12 in the morning, not through social channels, not through an assistant but directly from Adrian. Seraphina stared at the message on her tablet while sunlight spread faintly across the breakfast table.
Joint infrastructure negotiation. Limited attendance required.
It was professional, clean, and carefully neutral, which was precisely why it unsettled her immediately. Across from her, Lucien looked up from the financial report in his hands after noticing the subtle shift in her expression.
"What is it?" he asked calmly.
Seraphina lowered the tablet slowly onto the table. "Adrian requested a meeting."
Lucien's eyes sharpened almost instantly. "What kind of meeting?"
"He framed it as a negotiation discussion regarding the East District logistics expansion."
"That issue was already settled last quarter," Lucien said.
"I know." She replied.
The quiet answer confirmed what both of them already understood: that the meeting itself was not the point.
