The man with the neatly trimmed beard, who had been one of the first to suggest going public, looked at her squarely. "We're talking about the blatant nepotism that you and your friend have been bragging about. It's not right, and we're not going to let it slide."
Lisa, Anna's friend, scoffed, crossing her arms defensively. "Nepotism? You've got to be kidding me. We're just confident in our abilities. If you're all so threatened by that, maybe you should look in the mirror and ask yourselves why."
The older woman with silver-streaked hair, who had joined the conversation earlier, spoke up, her voice steady and calm. "It's not about being threatened. It's about fairness. We've all worked hard to get here, and we deserve a fair chance. But from what we've heard, it sounds like the decisions have already been made."
