Page 49 of Sy

“I’m okay,” Lila answered, offering a wavering smile.

“Michelle.” Ashley kept her voice low. “Can this wait? We need to get Lila checked out.”

“I know. I’m so sorry.” Michelle stepped closer, her expression torn. “But the company executives are on holo-call. They’re demanding answers about the earthquake damage. I’ve tried to hold them off as much as I can, but they want to speak to you.” She hesitated and then added, “They’re threatening to pull the project. To withhold payment for the entire crew.”

The words hit Ashley like a physical blow. Her workers depended on their wages. Most of them sent them home to support families.

“How long have they been waiting?”

“Twenty minutes. They’re… not happy.”

Of course they weren’t. When were they ever? Her free hand clenched into a fist, her nails biting into her palm. The need to stay with Lila warred with her duty as project manager. If the company pulled the project now…

“I’ll stay with her.”

Sy’s quiet voice startled her, and she turned. His red eyes held hers steadily. “I will make sure she receives proper care, and I will come for you immediately if there are any problems.”

She studied his face, searching for any hint of doubt. She found none. Instead, she saw the same steady reliability he’d shown throughout the rescue operation. Still, leaving Lila now…

“Mom.” Lila’s voice was quiet but firm. “I’ll be okay. Really.” She attempted a smile again. “Sy can tell me more about Parac’Norr while we wait.”

Ashley’s throat tightened. “You’re sure?”

Lila nodded and then winced slightly at the movement.

“I’ll be as quick as I can,” she promised, leaning down to kiss her daughter on the cheek gently. She breathed in the dusty, smoky scent of Lila’s hair, still carrying traces of the cave-in. “The doctors will take good care of you, and Sy will be right there.”

When she stood, she found Michelle waiting patiently, worry lines creasing her forehead.

“If anything changes—” she started to say to Sy.

“I will fetch you immediately,” he assured her. “You have my word.”

She nodded, forcing herself to release Lila’s hand. Each step away from her daughter felt wrong, like fighting against a physical pull. But Michelle’s expression told her there was no more time to waste. She squared her shoulders, pushing down the ache in her chest, and fell into step beside her senior engineer.

“How bad is it?” she asked as they turned toward the comm center.

Michelle snorted. “Prepare yourself. They’re out for blood.”

The comm room door swung open to reveal a windowless space dominated by a large metal table. The holos of three executives waited with poorly concealed impatience, their crisp suits and pristine offices a stark contrast to the dust and chaos of the garrison comms room. She recognized them all. MartinReynolds, the company operations director, leaned forward, his expression carved from granite.

“Ms. Jackson. So glad you could join us. I’m sure you’re aware that this is a completely unacceptable level of damage to company equipment,” he said, each word precise and cutting. “The sensor arrays alone represent millions in losses. How do you justify this negligence, Ms. Jackson?”

She sat down, forcing her hands to remain flat on the conference table rather than curl into fists. “With respect, sir, we were dealing with an unprecedented seismic event. Our priority was?—”

“Your priority should have been protecting company assets.” Regina Barrett’s aristocratic features twisted with disdain. Ashley had never liked the woman. Even the stick up her ass probably thought she was too uptight. “Instead, you allowed essential equipment to be destroyed and personnel to be injured. The liability alone?—”

“We evacuated all personnel from the affected areas as soon as we detected the anomaly,” Michelle cut in. “Several crew members were injured during the earthquake when equipment?—”

“When equipment that should have been properly secured caused multiple injuries,” Barrett interrupted. “And then instead of managing the crisis, Ms. Jackson here decided to mount an unauthorized rescue operation for her daughter, leaving the work crews without leadership during an emergency situation.”

The mention of Lila sent ice through Ashley’s veins. How did they know? She hadn’t filed any official reports yet, hadn’t even had time to log the incident. Her pulse quickened as Barrett continued her assault.

“The damage to our equipment is extensive. The timing of your… departure from your duties suggests?—”

“Excuse me,” she interrupted, ignoring Michelle’s warning look, “but how do you know about my daughter? We haven’t submitted any reports about the incident yet.”

A microsecond of silence. Reynolds’ expression didn’t change, but his fingers twitched against his desk. “We have our sources, Ms. Jackson. The question is why you failed to prevent this disaster in the first place.”

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