Maxwell’s POV

The air in my office was thick with tension. The moment my secretary walked in, his usually composed demeanor faltered, and I knew something was wrong.

“Sir…” His voice wavered as he fidgeted with the file in his hand. “The deal—”

“Out with it,” I snapped, my patience already thinning.

He swallowed hard. “We lost the merger to Wellington Industries.”

Silence.

For a moment, the weight of his words didn’t register. Lost? That was impossible. I have never ...