Maddison's POV
"Though new and very creative," Marcus finished, his tone dripping with a fake sign of remorse, "Ms. Carter's work is, sadly, dangerous to the public."
He stared at her, a thin, winning smile drawn across his lips. It was one of pure, proud victory. He had set his trap, laid out his proof, and was just waiting for her to take the bait. He expected she would fight, rage, be shocked. He expected she would fail.
***
There was a silence in the boardroom that seemed as though it could be touched; a heavy, thick one. Marcus Vance's final words, "a danger to the public," still hung in the chill of the air and it felt just like a guilty hearing in the ring of a judge's hammer. The board of directors, a line of serious-looking women and men who wore costly suits, eyed the empty s
