The emergency board notice arrived before breakfast.
Which meant one thing: Adolf wasn't waiting for momentum. He wanted confrontation.
Ethan read the notification beside me without expression. "Formal governance review," he said quietly.
He was not surprised; he was just prepared. I understood the pattern immediately.
Selene's podcast wasn't the attack. It was the spark. And Adolf had used it as justification.
The boardroom felt colder than usual. Not physically but strategically. Adolf sat at the head of the table like a man delivering a verdict instead of requesting discussion.
His brothers were present—two senior investors. Legal counsel. Compliance.
And Selene—not physically in the room. But very much present.
Her clip was projected on the screen behind them.
Paused at the line: Some women don't rise. They attach.
Adolf began first. "This situation introduces reputational instability," he said evenly. "Leadership integrity requires transparency."
