The boardroom was tense, suffused with the kind of silent anticipation that only comes before an onslaught of scrutiny. Marrin sat at the polished oak table, the soft glow of the overhead lights reflecting off her immaculate suit. Around her, the company's senior board members leaned forward, pens poised over notepads, eyes sharp and expectant. She had faced them countless times before, but today was different. There was an edge in the air—a subtle, imperceptible tremor that set her nerves on high alert.
As the first question was thrown her way—a pointed inquiry about the recent quarterly projections—Marrin felt a sudden shiver travel down her spine. It wasn't cold, not really, but an almost unnatural sense of displacement. Her vision blurred for a fleeting moment. Lines of the boardroom
