“Look,” Sophia tried again as they approached the law firm’s towering entrance, “maybe we should take a moment to-”

“No time,” Juniper and Daniel said simultaneously, their shared focus making Sophia’s eyes narrow thoughtfully.

The lobby’s holiday decorations seemed almost garish now, the twinkling lights reflecting off marble floors like justice trying too hard to feel festive. As they waited for the elevator, Juniper’s mind spun through preparation tasks like pages of a brief.

“We’ll need the conference room converted to a war room,” she said, her thoughts clicking into place with mechanical precision. “Full timeline on the north wall, witness prep schedules on the east, motion tracking on the south…”