warm, golden ribbons across the weathered planks of the resort's main boardwalk. Jade Nguyen paused at the top s
cho of crashing waves. This place should have felt like home-inviting and reassuring-but today, ev
s storm, their fabric faded and weary from years of sun and sea. The flower beds that had once bloomed with a riot of colours now languishe
ke a predator circling its prey: the flagship of Elliot Drake's Drake Industries, here
having carved out a life focused on law school, clerkships, and high-profile environmental victories-each step
her pride or ambition. When her mother's voice broke over the phone-"They're closing in, Jade"-she knew
e steeled herself for the challenges ahead. Regret would have to wait. First, she had a resort to save. With determination pulsing through her vein
ing the mangroves, and the whispered vows exchanged in the tiki-thatched chapel that stood as a testament to love amidst n
hing waves. Inside, she discovered the manager hunched over a chaotic spread of permit applications and loan documents, his fingers anxiously tracing the red-ink
ing the burdens of uncertainty for weeks, each day stretching longer than the last. "It's worse than I though
egin tomorrow," she declared, already reaching inside for her laptop, her fingers itching to dive into t
ire more than just scientific data and sound arguments; it would demand influence, momentum, and a partner who could manoeuvre through the tangled web of bureaucracy
ade felt her resolve ignite. Tomorrow, she would face Drake Industries head-on, ready to confront the formidable challenges that lay ahead. But
oft whispers of the breeze, a pivotal battle lin