Alexander's POV:

When I read Namara’s message yesterday, after my meeting with the directors, I set an alarm for seven in the morning, fully expecting to sleep until then, instead, I woke up around five.

The sky outside my bedroom window was still the deep indigo of pre-dawn, and the digital clock on the nightstand showed 5:17 a.m as I laid there for a moment, listening to the tick of the grandfather clock downstairs, and the rustle of leaves against the window from the night breeze. ...