Chapter114:

Chapter 114:  Maximilian’s Point of View The sharp knock on my office door jolted me from my thoughts. I had been staring at the endless financial reports spread across my desk, the red numbers blaring like warning sirens. My temples throbbed, and I could feel the weight of the entire company pressing down on my shoulders. “Come in,” I said curtly, my voice gruff from the hours of silence. The door opened, and my secretary, Clara, stepped in, her expression tense. Her usual calm composure was gone, replaced by something that looked dangerously close to panic. That alone sent a chill down my spine. Clara was the kind of woman who could walk through a fire and emerge unscathed, so for her to look shaken… I knew it wasn’t good. “Sir,” she began, clutching a tablet to her chest, “we have a situation.” I leaned back in my chair, forcing myself to appear calm even though I could already feel the storm brewing. “What is it?” Clara hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line before she spoke