Leah
The evening air outside the Hayes building was crisp, but it did nothing to calm the tension raging inside me.
Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I could see Rebecca pacing impatiently, muttering under her breath. Beside her, Samantha Carter stood perfectly composed, her posture well detected, her eyes scanning the building as if already claiming it as her own. Every movement oozed control—and threat.
Ethan stepped closer to me, his presence grounding me. “They won’t get past security unnoticed,” he said quietly. “But once they’re inside, it’s a test. They’ll try to intimidate you, manipulate Lucas, even turn the board against you.”
I swallowed hard. “So it’s… a battle?”
Ethan gave a faint smile. “Exactly. And you’re armed. You’ve got the stakes, the knowledge, and the element
