Chapter 5

The boardroom fell silent as Dorian Hale entered. Tall, with an effortless command that seemed to bend the air around him, he moved with the quiet confidence of someone who knew his worth without needing to announce it. His eyes—sharp, perceptive, and the color of aged whiskey—scanned the room with practiced efficiency.

I kept my head down, focusing on the quarterly projections in front of me. As a junior analyst, my role was to listen, not be noticed. At least, that had been my strategy until now.

Julian straightened his tie, practically preening as he prepared to dazzle our potential…