The atmosphere inside the hospital wing was suffocating. It wasn't just the presence of board members, legal representatives, distant relatives, and the carefully selected members of the media that made it difficult to breathe. It was the unbearable weight of anticipation hanging over everyone present. The Thoreau name had always represented power, influence, and legacy, and today that legacy was being tested in the most irreversible way possible.
Maya stood quietly beside Lucas, her fingers curled tightly into her palm as she tried to steady her breathing. She hadn't realised how tense she was until Lucas' hand brushed lightly against hers beneath the table. The gesture was brief, almost accidental, but it grounded her. Across the room, Damein stood alone with his hands clenched at his s
