Tom Anderson leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on the ceiling of his spacious office at HM Company. The silence was deafening, a stark contrast to the chaotic meeting that had just concluded. He could still hear the echoes of raised voices and the slam of the conference room door as Westridge Corp's CEO stormed out, leaving behind an ultimatum that threatened to upend everything Tom had worked for.
"Damn it," Tom muttered, running a hand through his hair. Westridge was their biggest client, accounting for nearly 30% of HM's annual revenue. Losing them would be catastrophic, especially with the whispers of a potential merger swirling around the industry.
A soft knock at the door pulled Tom from his thoughts. "Come in," he called, straightening in his chair.
Sarah, his executive as
