Lola stood at the entrance of the boardroom, her heartbeat drumming an erratic rhythm against her ribs. The air inside was thick with the tension of unspoken battles, the kind that lurked beneath polished words and carefully neutral expressions. A dozen pairs of eyes flicked to her, some wary, others merely curious. But the one pair she was looking for—the stormy, calculating gaze of Desmond—was already waiting. He knew. Somehow, he always knew.
"You're late," Desmond said smoothly, leaning back in his chair, his fingers steepled together in mock patience. "We were just about to discuss the next phase of the expansion."
Lola forced a cool smile as she stepped forward, her heels clicking against the glossy floor. "Good. Because that's exactly what I wanted to talk about."
She slid into h
