The boardroom felt larger than Ivy remembered from the one time she'd glimpsed it in passing, rows of serious faces seated around a long table, Desmond at the head, Nathaniel a few seats down, watching her with careful, calculating patience. Ronan sat near the middle, his expression steady, though she could see the tension in his shoulders, the same tension she felt tightening her own chest as she stepped forward to speak.
"Thank you for allowing me to address the board directly," Ivy began, her voice steadier than she expected, though her hands trembled slightly at her sides. "I understand there have been questions raised about my presence here, about a conflict of interest tied to my family's history with this company. I'd rather answer those questions myself, honestly, than let rumors
