Chapter 17 Professional Distance

• Amelia’s POV
• I stand at the head of the conference room, a presentation remote in my hand and Daniel’s entire business empire displayed on the screen behind me.
• “Sterling Holdings has three primary vulnerabilities.” My voice is steady, professional, completely detached. Like I’m discussing a stranger’s company instead of the place I used to visit for lunch, where I’d sit in Daniel’s office and watch him work. “First, their aggressive expansion has stretched their infrastructure beyond optimal capacity. Second, their recent merger with Crane Enterprises relies on projected synergies that may be overestimated. Third, their leadership is consolidated—if key executives were to leave, operational continuity would be compromised.”