The emergency board meeting was scheduled for six p.m.
That alone told me everything.
Boards did not meet after business hours unless something was burning.
By five forty-five, the executive floor felt different. Quieter. Heavier. Assistants moved with restrained tension. Doors closed more firmly. Conversations stopped when I passed.
The narrative had shifted again.
It was no longer about speculation.
It was about power.
Julian stood at the head of the conference table when I entered. The skyline behind him glowed with the last wash of sunset, turning the glass walls amber. He wasn't looking at the view. He was reading something on his tablet, expression unreadable.
"They requested my presence?" I asked.
"Yes."
"That's unusual."
"Yes."
He set the tablet down.
"They want to ass
