The Verano Industries conference room was silent. Apart from the cool drip of the air conditioning and the faint but steady whir of the digital projector, there was no sound. Yet within that quiet tension surged—a silent war between power and doubt.

Eleven leather chairs around the long, expensive table made of imported oak sat like soldiers. The walls were glass with a view of the city’s skyscrapers, though no one seemed to notice. All eyes were fixed on the two people at the head of the ...