Graham paced the suite sitting room. The board was counting on closing this tonight. The press releases were already drafted. Without my final approval? Nia's voice went dangerously quiet.
You were so certain I would sign that you precommitted my company? Your company? Graham laughed harshly. The board has responsibilities beyond your personal feelings about being disrespected at a party. This isn't about feelings.
Nia's words could have cut glass. This is about authority and trust. Those men clearly believed they had already secured this deal through channels that bypassed me. Why were they so confident? A knock interrupted them.
Leila Grant entered, her face grave. She'd been Nia's friend since college and chief legal officer for over a decade. I've been reviewing what we have of the final package, Leila said without preamble. But significant sections are missing. Technical appendices, regional subcontracts, pricing escalators.
She looked at Graham. My team never received the complete documentation. The additional materials were still being finalized, Graham said smoothly. Standard practice for complex international deals. No, Leila's voice was flat.
Not standard at all. Not for our company. She turned to Nia. They withheld critical details from legal review while pushing for your signature tonight. This wasn't just about the insult at the gala.
That happened because they thought they had already outmaneuvered you. Nia felt cold anger settling in her chest. How many board members knew about the hidden terms? Graham's hesitation was answer enough. The majority anticipated your co-operation with the public aspects tonight, he said carefully.
The technical details could have been worked out after the announcement. After I was publicly committed, Nia corrected. After backing out would have seemed emotional and unprofessional. The pieces clicked into horrible clarity. That's why they felt free to mock me in Arabic.
They believed they had already won. The deal structure was sound, Graham insisted. The board was satisfied with the underlying The board deliberately concealed information from my legal team while planning to pressure me into a public commitment. Nia's voice could have frozen flame. You weren't just disrespecting me.
You were actively undermining my authority as CEO. We were protecting the company's interests, Graham snapped. Your job was to smile and sign. Instead, you've potentially triggered a financial crisis because two men bruised your ego. Leila stepped forward, eyes blazing, but Nia held up a hand.
My job, she said with deadly calm, is to lead this company with integrity. Not to be a puppet for men who think they can control me through ignorance and manipulation. She turned and walked out of the suite, leaving Graham sputtering behind her. The elevator ride back down gave her time to compose herself, to settle her features into practiced serenity. She stepped back into the ballroom just in time to see Tariq speaking intently to Jessica Chen, a prominent financial reporter known for breaking stories about corporate drama.