The following morning arrived with a tension that seemed to hang over everything. Despite the clear sky, the air felt heavy, as if we were all bracing for something inevitable—Castellano's next move. After the previous day's power struggle with the board, I knew we didn't have much time before Castellano came at us with everything he had.
William was already in his office when I arrived. He was on the phone, speaking in low, clipped tones that made it clear the situation was becoming more precarious by the hour. Ethan was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, his usual calm demeanor tinged with quiet frustration.
"Lucas is in," Ethan said as soon as I entered the room, his tone void of any triumph. "I spoke to him late last night. He'll dig into Castellano's financials, but he wants a bigger cut if this goes south."
