1. Upscale gallery opening with white walls and spotlights. Graham Whitaker: black turtleneck under a blazer, relaxed confidence, holding a champagne flute. His wife: emerald green dress, minimalist jewelry, hair down, laughing at a donor’s joke. Preston Hale: dark suit, open-collar shirt, book-author charisma, gesturing as he speaks. Derek Lawson in the background: suit jacket off, tie loosened, looking at his phone. Thursday, 20:41 — The Gallery The gallery was everything the office wasn’t.

    Thursday, 20:41 — The Gallery

    Upscale gallery opening with white walls and spotlights. Graham Whitaker: black turtleneck under a blazer, relaxed confidence, holding a champagne flute. His wife: emerald green dress, minimalist jewelry, hair down, laughing at a donor’s joke. Preston Hale: dark suit, open-collar shirt, book-author charisma, gesturing as he speaks. Derek Lawson in the background: suit jacket off, tie loosened, looking at his phone.
  2. Empty office at night, lit by monitors and the glow of a server rack. Nathan Cole: faded hoodie over a wrinkled shirt, stubble, dark circles under his eyes, one hand gripping a paper cup of burnt coffee, the other hovering over a keyboard. Thursday, 02:18 — The Batch Window At 02:18, the building belonged to machines.

    Thursday, 02:18 — The Batch Window

    Empty office at night, lit by monitors and the glow of a server rack. Nathan Cole: faded hoodie over a wrinkled shirt, stubble, dark circles under his eyes, one hand gripping a paper cup of burnt coffee, the other hovering over a keyboard.