Jack's jaw tightened at the word 'liability'.
"That is unfair," he said carefully. "I haven't done anything wrong."
Benjamin let out a slow, measured breath on the other end of the line, the kind that always came before something sharp.
"Whether you did or didn't is irrelevant right now," he replied. "What matters is perception and right now, perception is not on your side."
Jack paced again, running a hand through his hair. "You are already treating me like I am guilty."
"I am treating you like someone who cannot afford a single misstep," Benjamin snapped. "There is a difference."
Silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable.
"You will sit in that room," Benjamin continued, his voice cutting through the quiet, "and you will remember one thing — this meeting is not about your feelings, your pride or your explanations."
Jack's lips parted. "Then what is it about?"
"Containment," Benjamin said flatly. "Damage control and survival."
Jack swallowed hard. "And Alexander?"
