Chapter 4 — First Impressions

Third Person

Emma Calloway stood at the head of the glass-walled conference room on the lower levels of Whitaker Tech, the faint hum of activity filtering in from the open workspace outside. The muted cadence of conversations, the clatter of keyboards, and the rhythmic click of heels on polished floors created a subtle buzz that felt alive and dynamic—a deliberate contrast to the oppressive quiet of the executive floor above. Emma had chosen this room for exactly that reason. Here, among the energy and motion, she hoped to plant the seeds of something new.