The boardroom was silent.

Jack Hayes stood at the head of the polished mahogany table, the city skyline stretching behind him through floor-to-ceiling windows. The golden afternoon sun cast long shadows across the room, as if the past itself had come to bear witness. Jack’s expression was carved from granite—sharp with focus, unyielding with authority. He had built Hayes Industries from legacy and loss, and today, everything hinged on this meeting.

Behind him stood Rachel Quinn, the newly ...