Katelyn’s POV

The hours after presenting the compensation agreement were some of the longest of my career. The lobby remained tense, reporters whispering and pressing forward, waiting for a new headline.

Mr. Smith stood silent, leafing through the document, his jaw set, the lines in his face deepening as he read the pages. His wife stood beside him, their child asleep in her arms, her own face pale and closed off.

It didn’t take long for the drama to move from the building lobby to the ...