The boardroom felt different today.
Heavier.
More intense.
Like something important was about to happen.
Executives filled the seats, murmuring quietly among themselves. But the moment Nora walked in beside Alexander—
Everything went silent.
Ethan was already seated.
Waiting.
Watching.
His eyes locked onto her immediately.
But Nora didn't hesitate.
Didn't slow down.
Didn't acknowledge him.
She walked past him like he didn't exist.
And somehow—
That stung more than anything.
"Let's begin," one of the directors said.
The presentation started.
Charts. Numbers. Projections.
Everything looked perfect.
On the surface.
But Nora wasn't looking at the surface.
She was looking deeper.
And when she finally spoke—
The room froze.
"That projection is wrong."
Silence.
Ethan leaned back slightly.
"Excuse me?"
Nora stood.
Calm. Composed. Unshaken.
"If you follow this strategy, your company will lose millions within six months," she said.
Her voice wasn't loud.
But it didn't need to be.
It carried.
Every word precise.
Every word confident.
"That's a bold claim," Ethan said.
Nora met his gaze.
"It's not a claim," she replied. "It's a correction."
And then—
She walked to the screen.
Took the marker.
And rewrote everything.