Three days flew by, and Riverdale showed no signs of slowing down for anyone. The docks bustled from dawn until dusk, wagons rolled through the market streets without a moment's pause, and traders haggled over coins as if nothing significant had transpired beyond their own narrow interests.
If anyone had taken a closer look at the Ashford Quarter, they would have noticed something changing, a new structure rising where broken wood and dust once reigned. But most citizens were too preoccupied with their own pursuits to recognize the quiet transformation unfolding in this overlooked corner of the city.
In the Ashford Quarter, however, those three days had been anything but quiet. Boren barely slept.
He spent his first morning darting between officials to secure permits, stamping documents, signing temporary agreements, and negotiating labor prices with construction crews who initially regarded him with skepticism.
