The Pendleton boardroom once smelled like ambition and certainty.
Now it reeked of panic.
Benjamin stared at the half-filled seats. The morning's quarterly report had detonated more than expectations—it shattered illusions.
“We've lost another investor," the CFO said. “They moved to back Phoenix's expansion line."
Benjamin didn't speak.
“Brand perception's down twenty-three percent," added the marketing head. “Consumer sentiment favors Phoenix in every shared territory."
Someone muttered, “They trust her more."
His fingers clenched around a silver pen. “I created that brand."
“No," came a quiet voice near the window. It was Holly. “You used her to build your brand."
Silence dropped like a guillotine.
She turned toward him, eyes calm. “And when she left, all that was left… was you
