Winning did not change Lynda overnight.

There was no sudden joy, no dramatic relief, no moment where she stood still and thought, This is it. Instead, victory settled into her life the way dust settles on untouched furniture slowly, invisibly, until one day you realise it is everywhere.

Her days were full now. Lunches, fittings, calls, events. Marcus ensured she never lacked motion. Stillness, he believed, gave room for doubt.

“You’re free,” he reminded her one afternoon as they rode in ...