The sudden ringing of a phone pierced the tense silence of the boardroom.

All eyes instinctively shifted forward.

Seated at the center, Nathaniel's face was set in stone, his jaw clenched tight, his eyes devoid of warmth.

"Answer it," he commanded.

Viktor, trembling, took the call.

"Hello? This had better be important!"

"Just pushing through that orphanage demolition—you can't handle a few weaklings?"

Viktor snapped, concluding quickly, "If you ...