Chapter 40. Ribbon of Reclamation

Harper stood on the penthouse balcony, the night air cool against her bare shoulders. The city stretched below, not as something to conquer—but as something she had reshaped. Tower lights blinked like stars reborn. The skyline whispered her name, not in reverence, but in recognition.

The Transparency Continuum had gone live hours earlier. Protocols published, investor metrics climbing, public trust recalibrated across six zones. It wasn’t chaos. It was control—hers. Reclaimed not through dominance, but through daring honesty.

And for the first time, Harper felt it in her bones:

This wasn’t just a win.

It was a becoming.

Behind her, the soft rustle of footsteps stirred the air. Knox stepped into the threshold—dark-suited again, but something in him had unlatched. His shoulders still bore strength, but now it was a posture of presence, not protection.

He paused.

Just looked at her.

The way someone looks when they know the mountain