The conference room doors clicked shut, a sound of finality that sealed Malik in the hallway. Through the narrow glass panel, he watched the players assume their positions. Michael Dewitt stood at the head of the table, his hands resting on a sleek presentation folder. Evelyn glided to a seat just behind Sarah’s shoulder, a shadow ready to bloom. Janet lounged in a chair reserved for senior executives, her smirk echoed like a blade.
The guards had loosened their grip, assuming defeat, but they misjudged their man. Malik edged along the wall, his movements silent, until he found a service alcove shrouded in shadow, its angle offering a sliver of a view and a conduit for sound. He could hear everything from inside clearly now.
Just as everything settled in the conference room, Michael’s vo
