Outside the harsh fluorescence of the AXiom office, Sloane sees Austin clearly for the first time — the cowboy build, the square jaw, the wire-rimmed glasses. The marble high-top is small. His knees press against hers. She tells him about Reid's golden hook — the $500,000 equity, the demand to pad Van Guard with ghost hours, the threat to put her on disability over her arm brace. She feels trapped between federal prison and walking away from the only money that could free her. Austin leans in. He briefly touches her fingers. He tells her to fly low. Stop playing by the old rules. Document everything. Do the minimum to keep Reid happy and stay in the weeds until the equity check clears. "Once the money is yours," he says, "then we figure out how to bite back." She realizes she is no longer alone.