Apex Global's boardroom occupied the top floor of a glass tower that seemed engineered specifically to make visitors feel small, all soaring ceilings and a wall of windows overlooking the harbor. Elena had rehearsed her opening three times in the car, and still felt her pulse spike the moment the twelve board members turned toward her in unison.
"Ms. Hayes," the chairwoman said, gesturing to the empty seat at the head of the table reserved for presenters. "We understand there was some confusion with your initial numbers."
"There was an unauthorized alteration to a preliminary document before it reached you," Elena said, standing rather than sitting, meeting the chairwoman's gaze directly. "I want to address that immediately and clearly: the figures you originally received did not reflect
