The conference table held three printed schedules. One listed the Grand Metropolitan Hall floor plan. One showed the press blackout radius. One mapped Elena's original runway timeline. All three overlapped. Brooks and Victoria had locked the venue. They had bought the editor list. They had filed the exclusivity clauses. The physical stage was gone.
Alexander stood at the whiteboard. Marker in hand. He drew a straight line. Crossed it out. Drew another. "We do not fight for their floor," he said. "We build ours."
Elena sat at the table. Tablet open. Screen divided into four panels. Inventory levels. Payment gateways. Social traffic feeds. Shipping routing maps. "They want the press," she said. "We take the buyers. They want the stage. We take the screen."
"Digital showcase first," Alexander said. "Live stream. Direct checkout. Real-time inventory tracking. No gatekeepers. No editor approvals. Buyers click. They pay. They ship."
