Page 105 of The Silver Fox Brother

"Productive. The development there is significant."

"Tell me about it."

Knox sets down his fork and describes the project—a forty-story luxury residential tower, two hundred million dollar development, breaking ground this fall. He's more animated talking about it than I've seen him before, his hands gesturing as he explains the design challenges and the market positioning.

I listen, asking questions about timeline and target demographics, and he answers with the kind of detail that shows how deeply he thinks about every aspect of his developments.

Mid-sentence, my phone buzzes in my bag.

I pull it out quickly, glance at the screen. Text from my realtor confirming tomorrow's apartment viewings at 2PM.

"Sorry," I say, typing a quick confirmation.

"It's my realtor."

I set the phone face-down on the table.

Knox's expression doesn't change, but something flickers in his eyes.

"Realtor?"

I realize too late that he noticed.

"Yes. I'm looking for a new place."

A pause. "You're moving?"

"Yes."

I don't elaborate. Don't explain. Just let the word hang there.

Knox waits, clearly expecting more. When I don't offer it, he asks,

"Current place not working?"

"Something like that."

I pick up my water glass, take a sip, then set it down deliberately. "You were saying about the Dallas project? The timeline?"

Knox holds my gaze for a beat longer, and I can see him deciding whether to push.

He doesn't.

"Breaking ground in October," he continues.

"Completion estimated at thirty months, though we're building in buffer for weather delays and supply chain issues."

I ask another question about the construction strategy, and he answers. The conversation shifts back to business, safe territory, nothing personal. We finish lunch and the table is cleared.

"Ready to see the site?" he asks, standing.

"Yes."

We leave the restaurant and walk the two blocks to Sterling Tower. The afternoon sun is warm, the street busy with lunch traffic and delivery trucks.

The construction site is loud with the sound of power tools and workers calling to each other across the space. We take the construction elevator up to the three-bedroom unit. The progress is visible—drywall is up, paint is going on, the kitchen cabinetry is being installed.

I walk Knox through the space, pointing out the custom millwork that arrived last week, the paint colors that look exactly right in the natural light, the way the layout flows from entry to living space to bedrooms.