THIRD PERSON'S POV (NARRATOR'S POV CONTINUATION)

The applause still echoed when Rhea raised her hand, silencing the room once more. Her smile was practiced, calculated, barely twitching at the corners. Her pulse fluttered against her temple, but her voice? Steady and timeless.

"And so.." she said, turning slightly toward the crowd, "in the coming months, I will be taking a step back from the front lines. But don’t get excited—I'm not going anywhere." A few polite laughs rippled ...