The room settled into a brief pause as everyone waited.
" Ahem. "
The soft clearing of a throat came from the doorway.
Aaron Müller stepped back into the private room, composed as before, and behind her Finn appeared as well, looking slightly breathless like he had rushed in from the parking area.
For a brief second the entire table turned toward the entrance.
Now everyone was present inside Dallmayr — the people who were expected to attend, and even those who had arrived by coincidence — and the dinner that was meant to solve one problem had quietly turned into a gathering that might decide much more.
Aaron returned to the table and took the seat beside her husband Linn with quiet composure, her movements controlled and natural as if formal dinners like this were part of her everyday routine.
