Chapter Twenty-Two
The morning sun cut sharply across the Blackwood Holdings skyscraper, the golden light reflecting off the glass towers of the financial district like a crown upon the city. Inside the Blackwood boardroom, the atmosphere was anything but golden. The room, usually pristine and orderly, felt charged with tension. The long mahogany table gleamed under the overhead lights, but the weight of unspoken threats made it almost oppressive.
Adrian Blackwood sat at the head of the table, posture straight, face a mask of calm authority, though every fiber of him was attuned to the storm brewing. Board members, a mix of seasoned financiers and ruthless executives, sat on either side, faces tight with frustration, whispers bouncing beneath the polite veneer of professionalism.
