#Chapter 55: Luna Publicly

Logan I scanned the weekly reports in silence, each page delivering more of what I already knew but didn’t want to read again. Production numbers were stable. Trade routes secure. Morale among the staff? Less so. Buried in the margins of the personnel notes were things no one said outright but still managed to find their way to paper. Uncertainty around Emily’s authority. Perception of distance. Reluctance to engage after the latest press fallout. It wasn’t the first time her name had shown up between the lines. I doubted it would be the last. But it was the first time I found myself gripping the edge of my desk so tightly my knuckles went white. It wasn’t just her reputation they were gossiping about—it was her very presence. Her silence. Her slow withdrawal from the rhythm of this place, and from me. And maybe I deserved it. The printer clicked off another page I wouldn’t bother reading. I shoved back from the desk and stood, needing movement. Action. Something