Victor Hale wanted a private meeting. I walked into that boardroom like I’d been waiting for it my whole life, because, honestly, I had.
Not this exact moment or this particular morning, but I’d known something like this was coming ever since that envelope showed up in the lobby. Men like Victor don’t take no for an answer. They treat it like the opening move in a game they’ve already decided they’re going to win. The boardroom was empty except for him.
He sat at the far end of the long table, not in Sebastian’s usual spot but in a different chair, one carefully chosen so the bright morning light poured straight onto whoever walked in. A small, quiet power play. Victor was the kind of man who arranged the room before anyone else even stepped inside.
I noticed it right away and sat down
