You don't pull back. Her question lingers, but instead of stepping away from it you lean in. There's something here, just out of reach, and her pushing back only makes it feel closer. You've come too far to retreat. One more step, carefully placed, might be enough. Hi Isabella, Understood, that makes sense. What I'm trying to get at is whether there's already been any internal discussion around the current concentration, even preliminary. Not formal alignment, but early-stage consideration, given how fast sentiment can move ahead of policy confirmation. It seems like the kind of situation where timing, even informally, could matter. Best, Elliot You read it once, then again. Something in you hesitates, not quite doubt, more awareness: you've crossed from observation into something else. But you need to know how the procedure actually works before your plan moves, so you send it anyway. The silence that follows is different. It stretches. You sit with your fingers resting on the keys, the room narrowing to the empty space where her reply should appear. You check the time. Then the message again. Nothing. When it finally comes, it feels too abrupt. [[Open Message|Read the message from Isabella]]