Julian paced the length of the conference room, every step measured, deliberate, but his mind was a whirlwind. His empire, the world he had spent years building, was on the brink of collapse. Edmund had played his cards, and they were all out in the open. The press had gotten hold of the scandal, and soon, the corporate world would follow. He could feel it—the walls were closing in on him, tighter with every passing second.
“Julian, stop,” Emily’s voice cut through the thick silence, grounding him. She stood by the large window, staring out at the skyline of Vienna, but there was no mistaking the tension in her voice. “You’re wearing yourself thin. It’s not going to help.”
He stopped pacing, meeting her gaze. There was something new in her eyes—something he hadn’t seen before: skepticism
