Chapter 31 Empire Reforged

• Jennifer spun toward Matthew, her grin so wide it looked like it might split her face. Her eyes sparkled, like she’d just scored a personal victory. Without hesitation, she threw her arms around him and peppered his face with kisses.
• “Oh my God, Rayn… you actually did it,” she whispered, breathless and electric. Her face lit up with a joy so raw, it was clear she hadn’t dared to believe this moment would ever come. “Jason Rogue doesn’t hand out chances like this unless he’s seriously interested. You just made your first real move toward building something way bigger than either of us imagined.”
• Matthew took a deep breath, trying to steady the storm of emotions swirling inside him, relief, disbelief, pressure. He still couldn’t quite wrap his head around what had just happened. Jason Rogue, a titan in the business world, the kind of man everyone wanted to partner with but rarely got past his ironclad gatekeepers. Most people never made it past the first layer of promises, empty ones, offered by subordinates who couldn’t deliver. Excuses piled up, deals fell through, and dreams of working with Rogue crumbled into dust.