re. It was a battlefield disguised as mahogany, and the three board mem

ight, Katerina with her immaculate bun and icy poise, a humanitarian mask over a sharp business mind. G

t in control of his space. I sat at his right, a folder op

. His voice was velvet over steel. "We'r

says he can stabilize the merger.

d evenly. "Half of them are true. The o

n eyebrow. "And y

with Ms. Grant instead of trying to s

ent a ripple through the room. They weren

rophy. It was built to solve problems. This merger only works

e. "And you're what? The con

out flinching. "I'm

manicured finger on the table. "Lang promised to pr

nd licensing labyrinths until they're no longer

narrowed.

the last six months," he said. "He's been preparing this play longer than you thi

hrough the papers,

true, the market likes him. The regu

," Damian said softly.

Grube

nced at me

ipped. This

- is about to go public. It's bigger than anything we've done before. Solar tech that's scalable,

ws rose. "Helio

you back Lang, you'll be on t

feel Damian watching me, not inte

s throat. "This... c

ain, slower this time. "You'd

her go down fighting than watc

faintly. "Sh

said. "You'll need funding. In

. "And you'll get your dividends

ession calculating. "You're

choose the winning

nged glances. I

losed the folder. "

ian said. "Lang's

ruber gave me a slow smile as he left. "You're

them, my knees went weak. I

me. "You were extraord

rified," I

d. "Terror kee

look. "You're

htly. "And yet

rd. "Do you th

"They saw what Lang is. But

t's

said. "And w

decanter on the sideboard. He handed one to me. "

clinked his glas

s rich, dark, a littl

lass down.

oked

using me as a pawn," I said. "If we'r

softened. "You're not a pawn,

id it made my

, and his face went still. "Lang's moving faster than I th

"What kind of p

going to accuse us of coll

. "That could k

Unless we kill hi

old and bright. I felt the walls of the

this company,"

nough that I could feel the heat of him. "Then don't

artbeat, I forgot the board, forgot Lang, forgot everything

orcing air into my lungs.

. "Do that. Bu

hind him, I went back to the window. Zurich glit

his pieces. Dami

it was