The sheer audacity of Conrad Stone’s declaration hung in the air like a sudden drop in atmospheric pressure. For a moment, time seemed to suspend itself around the small group standing in the bustling corridor of The Zenith Tower.
Caroline Lynn, whose face had been contorted with rage just seconds before, froze. She stared at the man she considered the bane of her existence, her mind struggling to process the absurdity of his words. It took three full seconds for the shock to wear off, replaced by a surge of incredulity that pitched her voice an octave higher than usual.
"What did you just say? Are you insane?"
Her voice cut through the ambient noise of the hallway, drawing a few curious glances from passing executives.
Standing beside her, Martha Pierce looked equally flabbergasted, t
