The meeting had dragged-same old investors circling the same old projections like vultures who'd already decided the corpse was theirs. I shook hands, gave the practiced smile, and left the boardroom without looking back.

Jake fell into step beside me the second I hit the corridor, silent shadow as always. But whenever I look back, I swear he was always smiling. Like he really loved his job or something.

Aisha appeared at the far end of the hall-quick steps, tablet clutched to her chest like a shield.

"Sir," she said, slightly out of breath. "Your father's been waiting in your office. Twenty minutes."

I nodded once. "Thank you."

She hesitated-only...