The Rochefort Group event hall had been transformed.
What was normally a formal space for board meetings and investor presentations had been reimagined for the year-end celebration. Strings of warm lights crisscrossed the ceiling. The stage at the front was draped in deep blue and silver, the company's colors. Tables and booths were arranged throughout the hall, filled with employees and their families. The bar was open. The buffet was extensive. The atmosphere was buoyant in a way it hadn't been in years.
The revenue reports had exceeded every projection. After months of uncertainty following Alex's death, the company had stabilized, then grown, then begun to dominate. The employees knew who was responsible. When Arianne took the stage to say a few words, the applause was genuine.
