The first real consequence did not happen in a meeting.
It happened in a hallway.
Aria learned that the hard way.
She was walking through the administrative wing of the civic center the next morning, not for a formal session, just to retrieve documents Marcelo had asked for. The building felt different now. Not hostile. Careful.
People moved aside politely. Too politely.
She heard it before she saw it.
A pause in conversation. The kind that happened when someone entered a room unexpectedly.
Two junior staff members stood near the printer, frozen mid sentence. One of them flushed when she noticed Aria.
"Good morning," Aria said calmly.
"Good morning," they replied in unison, too quickly.
Aria walked past without stopping.
But the moment stayed with her.
It was not accusation.
It was hesitation.
That was worse.
By midday, Marcelo received his first formal request.
Not an inquiry.
A request.
A compliance review.
