diately. At first, everythin

s, her confidence untouched. By morning, she had already rearranged parts of th

but because it felt like something was being erased too quickly. Still, he said noth

m. meeting has

rom his desk "Postponed

The board sent a notice early this morning. They said th

ned. "New d

s,

out that did

door closed behind her, a flicker of unease settled in his chest. The board

Adrian, we have a problem." It w

in his chair. "Wh

"The kind you need

ned. "Stop being dr

aid carefully. "Some of

le

phone tightened. "T

e checked twice. Major transactions are bein

this?" "That's just it," Marcus said.

sion darkened.

her

said slowly, "you'r

in tailored suits filled the room, their attention fixed entirely on her. Not o

" she sai

or accounts have been secured," one of the executives

ents with quiet precision. "And

tuation," the man replied. "Only partial

ed the file. "Let

out of doubt but out of understanding. Thi

ete review of all contracts signed under

, ma

y. Because that timeline mattered. A year. The same year he

n stormed into the confer

tack of printed reports onto the table

nform you," one of

apped. "After my

The words were quiet, b

turned

use

his expression calm. "You've been operating under that assum

cold settle in his c

ng, majority control has been exe

ced. "That's imp

nterrupted gent

ed to close i

strange, unwelcome thought began to form. A name. A possi

ving room, scrolling through her ph

looked up.

per this time. "Now." Somethi

itation already bui

adline stared back. "Carter Holdings Annou

or the phone, his eyes scanning quickly. Then-He froze. Because

the company's headquarters

ne tightened slightly. "A

Because for the first time sinc

replace. This wasn't someone he had control over. This was-A mistake. An

ly had he