Chapter Five

Sienna

There was a particular kind of silence that only existed before a board meeting. It wasn't peaceful. It was anticipatory. Like the room itself was waiting to see who would bleed first. I set my laptop on the polished conference table and took my usual seat. Mine. The head of the table. Where I'd sat for the last four years. Where every decision that had shaped BrooksWell had begun.

One by one, the board members filtered in. Soft greetings. Coffee cups. The rustle of papers. Then came Weston Capital. And finally Caiden Wyatt. He walked in carrying nothing more than a leather folder and that same infuriating composure. Not rushed or nervous. As though presenting before a room full of executives was no different than ordering lunch. He nodded politely.

"Good morning."

Several members of the board greeted him by name. Already. It had been less than a week. Wonderful. The chairman adjusted his glasses. "Mr. Wyatt, I believe you have the preliminary findings from your review."

"I do." Caiden stood.

No theatrics or dramatic pauses. Just quiet confidence.

"I've completed an initial review of BrooksWell's contractual history over the past five years."

The first slide appeared. Operational Risk Assessment. I folded my arms. Here we go.

"The overall legal foundation is strong."

I blinked. That wasn't what I'd expected.

"There are, however, several recurring issues I'd recommend addressing before international expansion."

The next slide appeared. Three highlighted clauses. None of them catastrophic. All of them familiar. He explained each one with clinical precision. Never once raising his voice or even looking at me. That somehow irritated me more.

"It appears BrooksWell has relied heavily on internal review procedures."

"We have," I interrupted.

He looked at me. "I know."

The room fell quiet.

"I also believe those procedures have served the company remarkably well."

I frowned. Then why bring them up? He continued.

"As the company grows, the legal complexity grows with it."

Another slide. Another recommendation. Another sentence beginning with,

"In my experience,"

There it was. Again. His experience. Always his experience. As if years in expensive boardrooms automatically made him the authority on everything. He clicked to the final slide.

"My recommendation is simple."

Simple. Of course it was.

"Strengthen the review process before expansion rather than after."

The chairman nodded slowly.

"Excellent work, Mr. Wyatt."

Another board member spoke. "I agree."

"So do I."

"We should begin implementing these changes immediately."

Each agreement landed like another pebble in my shoe. Small. Manageable. Impossible to ignore. Then someone said the one thing I couldn't unhear. "It's fortunate Mr. Wyatt caught these now."

Caught them. As though I'd been asleep at the wheel. I opened my mouth. Closed it again. Because if I defended myself now, I'd sound defensive.

And if I stayed quiet, everyone else would speak for me.

The meeting continued. I barely heard the rest. All I could think was: He did it again. Not loudly or cruelly not even intentionally. But somehow, He'd walked into my boardroom and become the voice everyone listened to. I hated that. Not because he was wrong. Because he made being right look effortless.

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