I had meticulously calculated every syllable of that speech before letting it fly. In the volatile ecosystem of Longroad Logistics, perception was the only currency that mattered. I knew that I couldn't simply excise a tumor like Lucas Park without a plan; he was too deeply embedded in the marrow of this operation. Nearly half of the workforce consisted of "old guard" veterans—men who had spent years hauling hundred-pound crates and navigating the city's neon nightlife in their delivery rigs. If Lucas felt cornered and decided to orchestrate a mass walkout, the entire supply chain would grind to a halt. The financial hemorrhaging from a total operational shutdown would be catastrophic, potentially shuttering the business before I even had the chance to prove my worth to Jennifer Arnoyd.
F
