Ares's POV
The elevator doors opened, and I stepped into the KnightCorp boardroom. The air was thick with tension, colder than the city outside, sharp with the scent of stale coffee and fear. The heels of my shoe clicked against the polished floor… well, not my heels, my shoes, but the sound felt too loud anyway. Every head turned. Some tried to smile. Some didn't even dare.
I didn't care.
I planted myself at the head of the table, spine straight, jaw tight. My chest felt like a storm inside me, each heartbeat loud and urgent. Jasmine's absence from the last twenty-four hours gnawed at me, pulling my control out from under me, piece by piece. But I couldn't let them see me crumble… not here. Not now.
"Gentlemen, ladies." I began, voice steady despite the tightness in my throat. "We need to talk about the merger."
A flurry of murmurs ran across the table. I ignored them, letting the silence stretch until it burned into their nerves.
