As Raymond stepped out of his private elevator, he was greeted by the familiar atmosphere of his office. His assistant, Lucas, stood up from his desk, a hint of concern and relief etched on his face. His boss looked stressed. It seemed like he had not rested well. He just came back from a trip, and resumed work immediately. Being a CEO is not easy, he thought.

“Welcome back, sir. How was your trip?”

Raymond nodded curtly. “It was fine. Get me up to speed on the Smith account. We need to finalize our business deal with them this week.”

Lucas hesitated for a moment, sensing his boss's tension. “Of...