"Julian, thank God you picked up," Derek’s voice filtered through the sleek speaker of the phone, sounding tinny but laced with a frantic, breathless edge. "I know it’s early, but we have a slight—very slight—situation on our end."

Clara sat perfectly still on the barstool, her hands resting flat o

The ballroom of the St. Regis in San Francisco was a cathedral of corporate vanity. Massive banners bearing the Hayes Technologies logo hung from the ceiling, flanked by high-definition screens looping slick, abstract animations of data streams. Rows of plush chairs were packed with tech journalists

The doors of the black Maybach closed, sealing them inside a soundproof sanctuary as the chaos of the press conference faded into a muted, distant roar. For a long moment, the only sound in the plush cabin was the rhythmic drumming of the rain against the tinted windows and the heavy, synchronized b