Alvin's expression flattened into a stony, unreadable mask. He let out a low, weary breath through his nose, feeling a deep sense of resignation. Deep down, he had known this was coming. It was Melissa's ultimate trump card, a predictable, dirty ultimatum she never hesitated to wield whenever she felt cornered.
***
Meanwhile, inside the spacious executive suite at the far end of the top floor, the atmosphere was thick with a very different kind of tension.
Jayden's face was a storm of dark irritation the moment Sarah stepped across the double-door threshold of his office. The grand room, usually filled with the soft hum of productivity and the steady typing of key commands, felt eerily silent.
