Chapter 22 Smoke And Mirrors

• The boardroom was quiet, too quiet. Sandra could feel the tension thick in the air, like the moment before a lightning strike. She sat beside Steve, both of them flanked by the remaining loyal executives of Lancaster Global. Across the table, Ethan Draven sat with an unreadable smile, fingers steepled together in feigned patience. A storm was coming, and everyone in the room could sense it.
• Steve stood first. “Let’s begin.”
• He was controlled, polished, every bit the CEO he was born to be. But Sandra noticed the tightness in his jaw. She reached under the table, resting her hand on his knee. He didn’t look at her, but the small squeeze of his fingers on hers was enough.