Chapter 34 - Chapter 34 – The First Glimpse

The conference room felt tighter than usual, as though the walls themselves had drawn closer overnight, trapping every word, every glance, every unspoken suspicion inside. Caro sat upright, her fingers resting lightly on the documents in front of her, but her focus was fractured. "The projected margins for the Henderson integration will stabilize within the third quarter," she said, her voice controlled, professional, almost too steady. "We've accounted for the initial volatility in the restructuring phase." Her eyes lifted briefly, meeting Peter's across the table, and something in his gaze made her chest tighten.