Brandon's POV
The boardroom at Universal Holdings smelled of polished mahogany and stale coffee, the kind of scent that clung to old money and older secrets.
Sunlight sliced through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting sharp shadows across the long conference table. I sat at the end, hands folded calmly in front of me, though my knuckles were white from the grip I held on my control.
I knew what I wanted here and I was going to get it.
The twelve board members shifted in their seats, their eyes flicking toward me with a mix of curiosity and caution.
I'd chosen my charcoal suit carefully—tailored to perfection, paired with a crisp white shirt and the company's signature blue tie. The picture of reliability. But inside, my mind was a storm.
'One wrong word, and it all falls apart. T
