Chapter 08
The boardroom was bathed in afternoon light, the kind that spilled wide and pale across the glass table. Bruce had arrived early, as though extra minutes would help him collect the pieces of his scattered thoughts. His jacket rested neatly on the back of his chair, the contract folder lying unopened in front of him. He stared at it for too long, his hand drumming lightly against the polished surface.
Sleep had not given him clarity. If anything, it had only sharpened his fatigue, leaving him brittle, easily frayed. The weight of his phone in his pocket pressed against him, silent for now but too close, too constant.
The door opened. Alex entered with the same natural confidence that had marked him since they were boys. Tall, composed, quick to smile. He extended his hand, and
