The elevator ride to the executive floor felt longer than it should have.
Jayden stood beside Roman in silence, staring at the glowing numbers as they climbed higher.
12.
13.
14.
The air inside the elevator was too quiet.
Roman stood with his hands loosely in his pockets, posture relaxed like this was just another morning at work.
Jay didn't believe it for a second.
People who looked calm in moments like this were usually the most dangerous ones in the room.
The elevator dinged softly.
The doors slid open.
And immediately Jay felt it.
Eyes.
The executive floor of Ashford Strategic was usually quiet but welcoming glass offices, polished marble floors, assistants moving efficiently between desks.
Today it felt like a courtroom.
Every head turned.
Conversations stopped.
Whispers flickered through the air.
Jay walked beside Roman anyway, shoulders straight.
If people were going to stare, they could stare properly.
Roman didn't acknowledge any of them.
He walked forward like he owned the building.
Which technically… he did.
Almost.
At the end of the hallway stood the boardroom.
And in front of the doors
Victor Hale.
Jay knew immediately.
You could tell a lot about a person from the way they waited.
Victor leaned casually against the wall, dressed in an expensive navy suit, silver hair slicked back neatly. He looked like a man who enjoyed the performance of power.
His eyes moved between Roman and Jay.
Then he smiled.
The kind of smile that wasn't friendly.
"Well," Victor said smoothly, pushing away from the wall. "There he is."
Roman didn't slow down.
Victor's gaze shifted to Jay.
"And you must be the famous intern."
Jay raised an eyebrow.
"Junior strategy analyst," he corrected.
Victor chuckled softly.
"Ambitious."
Roman finally stopped in front of him.
"You called the meeting," Roman said calmly. "Let's not waste the board's time."
Victor tilted his head.
"Oh, I agree."
His eyes slid back to Jay.
"But I do think introductions matter."
Jay crossed his arms loosely.
"You already introduced yourself by trying to destroy my career before breakfast."
Victor laughed.
"I like him."
Roman's voice dropped half a degree.
"Victor."
Victor lifted both hands innocently.
"Relax. We're all professionals here."
He turned and pushed the boardroom doors open.
"After you."
---
The boardroom was massive.
Long glass table.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city skyline.
Eight people already sat around the table executives, investors, senior partners.
Jay recognized a few from company presentations.
Others studied him with quiet interest.
One woman whispered to the man beside her.
The atmosphere was thick.
Roman pulled out a chair halfway down the table.
Jay sat beside him.
Victor took the seat at the opposite end.
Directly across from Roman.
The war lines were obvious.
Victor clasped his hands together.
"Well then."
He leaned back.
"Let's begin."
A middle-aged woman with sharp eyes spoke first.
"Victor requested an emergency board meeting regarding internal conduct concerns."
Her gaze flicked to Roman.
"Care to explain?"
Victor smiled politely.
"Of course."
He slid a thin folder onto the table and opened it slowly.
Jay felt the room tighten.
Victor spoke calmly.
"As you all know, Ashford Strategic has built its reputation on discipline, professionalism, and leadership."
He paused.
"And integrity."
Roman watched him without expression.
Victor continued.
"So naturally I was… surprised… to discover that one of our senior leaders has been engaging in behavior that could potentially compromise the company."
Jay leaned back slightly.
Here we go.
Victor lifted a photograph from the folder.
He placed it on the table.
Jay couldn't see it from his angle.
But the board members could.
Several eyebrows lifted.
Victor tapped the image lightly.
"Professor Roman Ashford," he said softly, "spending a rather private evening with one of our interns."
Silence.
Jay looked at Roman.
Roman didn't move.
Victor continued.
"In fact, this intern."
His gaze lifted directly to Jay.
"Well… that certainly makes things awkward."
One of the board members spoke.
"Roman?"
The tone was questioning.
Roman finally leaned forward slightly.
His voice was calm.
"Is there a point to this?"
Victor smiled.
"Oh, I believe there is."
He gestured lazily toward Jay.
"Sleeping with students. Favoring them professionally. Bringing them into strategic meetings."
He spread his hands.
"Looks like a conflict of interest to me."
Another board member frowned.
"Is this true?"
Jay spoke before Roman could.
"Yes."
The room turned toward him instantly.
Roman's head turned slightly as well.
Jay shrugged lightly.
"We did spend time together."
Victor grinned.
"See? Honesty. Refreshing."
Jay continued.
"But I'm curious."
Victor leaned forward.
"Oh?"
Jay met his gaze.
"Why are you pretending this meeting is about morality?"
Victor's smile faltered slightly.
Jay continued calmly.
"You don't care who Roman sleeps with."
Several board members shifted in their chairs.
Jay went on.
"You care about control."
Victor's eyes sharpened.
Jay leaned forward now.
"You've been trying to undermine Roman's leadership for months."
A murmur moved around the table.
Jay gestured toward the folder.
"And this is the best weapon you could find."
Victor's voice cooled.
"You're very bold for an intern."
Jay smiled slightly.
"Junior strategy analyst."
Roman watched quietly.
Victor tapped the table once.
"You think you're clever."
Jay shrugged.
"I think this meeting should actually be about the company."
He turned to the board.
"Unless we'd all like to waste the morning discussing Roman's dating life instead of profits."
The woman at the head of the table looked thoughtful.
"Roman…?"
Roman finally spoke.
"Jayden."
The use of his name was deliberate.
"Show them."
Jay nodded.
He reached into his bag and pulled out a tablet.
Victor frowned.
"What is this?"
Jay tapped the screen.
The large monitor on the wall lit up.
Charts appeared.
Revenue projections.
Market expansion graphs.
Board members leaned forward.
Jay spoke clearly.
"While Victor was investigating Roman's personal life, I was finishing the Q4 strategy report."
He swiped the screen.
New data appeared.
"Our competitors have increased operating costs by an average of twelve percent this quarter."
Another slide.
"Our proposal cuts operational spending by fifteen percent without layoffs."
The room stirred.
One executive leaned forward.
"How?"
Jay explained.
Supply chain restructuring.
New contract negotiations.
Automation investments.
His voice grew steadier with each slide.
This was his territory.
Numbers.
Strategy.
Solutions.
Victor interrupted.
"This is irrelevant."
One board member shook his head.
"No, it isn't."
Another executive spoke.
"These projections are impressive."
Victor's jaw tightened.
Jay finished the presentation with one final slide.
Projected revenue increase: 22%.
Silence followed.
Then the woman at the head of the table looked at Roman.
"You approved this?"
Roman answered calmly.
"Yes."
Victor slammed his hand lightly on the table.
"This doesn't change the ethical violation!"
Roman finally stood.
The movement was slow.
Controlled.
But the room instantly went quiet.
Roman placed both hands on the table.
His voice was calm.
"You're right."
Victor smiled triumphantly.
"Finally."
Roman continued.
"Yes. I invited Jayden into my personal life."
Jay's heart jumped slightly.
Roman didn't look at him.
Roman looked directly at the board.
"And I also hired him because he's brilliant."
Victor scoffed.
"This is absurd."
Roman turned his gaze to Victor.
"No."
His voice sharpened.
"This is leadership."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Roman continued.
"You tried to weaponize my personal life."
Victor's smile disappeared.
Roman leaned slightly forward.
"But you forgot something important."
Victor narrowed his eyes.
"What?"
Roman's voice dropped.
"Results."
He gestured toward the screen.
"Jayden's strategy will increase company profit by twenty-two percent."
He straightened.
"And that's before we implement phase two."
Several board members exchanged glances.
Victor's confidence was slipping.
Jay watched carefully.
Roman wasn't just defending himself.
He was cornering Victor.
Roman looked at the board again.
"If this company wants to fire me over a personal relationship…"
He paused.
"Then you're free to do so."
The room went very still.
Roman finished calmly.
"But understand this."
His gaze moved slowly around the table.
"You won't find another strategist capable of delivering results like this."
Silence.
Heavy.
Then the woman at the head of the table spoke.
"Victor."
Victor stiffened.
"Yes?"
Her voice was cold.
"You called this meeting."
Victor nodded.
"Yes."
She folded her hands.
"Do you have anything else to present?"
Victor hesitated.
For the first time that morning
He looked uncertain.
Jay felt it.
The shift.
Roman had turned the battlefield.
Victor finally spoke again.
"…Not at this moment."
The woman nodded.
"Then I suggest we focus on the strategy proposal."
Several board members agreed immediately.
Victor leaned back slowly in his chair.
Defeat flickered in his eyes.
But only for a moment.
Then he smiled again.
Slow.
Dangerous.
He looked directly at Jay.
And said quietly
"This isn't over."
Jay held his gaze.
"I hope not."
Victor stood.
"Because next time…"
His smile widened slightly.
"I won't miss."
Jay watched him leave the room.
Then he exhaled slowly.
Roman sat down beside him again.
Neither of them spoke.
But Jay could feel the war had only just begun.