The boardroom at Roth Industries was a study in sleek intimidation floor-to-ceiling windows, polished chrome, and the cold glint of ambition. Elena stood at the head of the long table, a laser pointer in one hand, the other clenched tightly around a thick folder of projections.
The room was full. Twelve board members, each with their own stake in the company and their own silent judgments.
And seated directly across from her, as always, was Victor Crane. Immaculately tailored, with his signature smirk resting just beneath polite civility. The man radiated menace with every glance, and today, he was out for blood.
Elena clicked through the final slide of the Q3 financial forecast, her voice steady despite the tightening in her chest. " and with the cybersecurity budget reallocation, we're projected to increase network resilience by twenty-three percent. All without exceeding last year's cap."
A beat of silence.
Then Victor chuckled.
"Interesting math, Ms. Roth," he said, voice slow and deliberate. "Though I suppose when you're inheriting rather than earning, one gets creative."
A ripple of tension traveled through the room like static. Elena's spine straightened.
"I assure you, the numbers are accurate," she replied coolly. "Liam Carter reviewed them himself, and "
Victor interrupted. "Ah, yes. The mysterious IT technician." He leaned back, tapping his pen against his teeth. "Tell me, does Mr. Carter also handle financial projections now? Or just server crashes and… long elevator rides?"
The insinuation was deliberate and vile.
Elena's hand tightened around the pointer. She felt eyes darting between them, the air thickening with anticipation. It wasn't just about budgets anymore. This was a test. A performance. One Victor clearly thought he could win.
"Mr. Carter is part of a specialized task force I formed after the breach two months ago," Elena replied sharply. "One that has already uncovered vulnerabilities your prior consultants missed."
Victor's brow twitched. That hit landed.
"But if you're uncomfortable with new methodologies, Victor," she continued, "I'm happy to forward the results of the third-party audit ,one you personally signed off on."
He didn't reply. Instead, he smiled again, like a wolf finding resistance unexpectedly satisfying.
"I simply worry," he said, eyes narrowing, "that you're letting sentiment cloud your leadership."
The phrase hung in the air. A subtle warning. A public strike. He was walking the line but doing it carefully. Just enough to plant doubt without overt insubordination.
Before Elena could respond, an unexpected voice spoke up.
"I reviewed the audit as well," said board member Sima Das, adjusting her glasses. "And I agree with Elena's strategy. It's aggressive but effective."
Several others nodded hesitant but swayed.
Victor's eyes flicked toward Sima. Calculating.
Elena, meanwhile, took a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She didn't smile. She didn't need to. The moment was still dangerous, but for now, the balance was shifting.
And she wasn't alone.
As the meeting adjourned, and chairs scraped back from the table, Victor leaned toward her, his voice barely above a whisper.
"You're clever," he said. "But clever isn't enough. Not in this room."
Elena met his gaze, cold and calm. "Neither is arrogance. And your clock is ticking, Victor."
He walked away without another word.
But Elena knew this was only round one.
And the war for Roth Industries had just begun.