Byron Corporation was in chaos.
Whispers filled the hallways, voices dropping the moment footsteps approached. Everyone had an opinion, a theory, a quiet bet on how this would unfold and, more importantly, how badly it would shake the company.
The Byron Corporation auditorium was silent in the way only money and power could command.
Cameras lined the walls. Shareholders filled the first rows. Executives sat stiff-backed, faces carefully neutral. Outside, the press waited like wolves.
Ruby stepped out of the elevator with measured calm. Fred moved first, sharp eyes, broad shoulders, clearing the path. Two personal bodyguards flanked her, discreet but unmistakable. Not aggressive. Protective. Intentional.
She didn't rush. She didn't hesitate. She walked like the building already belonged to her.
Across town, Samuel stood beside Max, arms crossed, jaw tight. A tablet in his hand showed the live feed from three angles. "She looks calm," Samuel said.
