#Chapter 44: New Cracks

Emily I didn’t sleep well and by morning, the ache behind my eyes hadn’t faded, and no amount of black tea or cold water helped. I moved through the house in a quiet fog. If Logan noticed my silence at breakfast, he didn’t ask. We spoke only of the day’s schedule. Then he retreated to his home office to make some phone calls. And I sat with my tablet, intending to review the gala coverage like any other damage control. The article was buried three links deep on a Pack ally’s event recap page. I almost didn’t click it, but the headline caught my eye: Chloe Blackwood appointed as strategic consultant for the Titanfang Education and Advancement Initiative. Her photo was pristine, of course. Carefully selected. Smiling in front of a Titanfang emblem I’d never seen her stand near. I stared at it for a full ten seconds, unsure if I was hallucinating. Then I clicked through. The appointment was formal, backed by Titanfang’s philanthropic committee. A minor branch, yes, but it