Dominic
The Sterling Industries boardroom felt different now. Lighter somehow, as if Robert's absence had quite literally removed a shadow from the company. Morning sunlight streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, catching on the mahogany table where my father had once commanded respect and my uncle had plotted destruction.
"The Thompson acquisition is proceeding on schedule," James reported, his usual efficiency somehow more relaxed these days. "And the quarterly reports show a seventeen percent increase since Robert's departure."
"The market responds well to stability," Peterson noted, his previous antagonism replaced by cautious support. "And transparency. The new ethics guidelines have been particularly well-received."
I nodded, scanning the reports before me. The past few weeks
