Ava’s POV

I strode out of the conference room, leaving the chaos behind me. The echo of Pricilla’s shrill outrage and Orion’s stunned silence still echoed in my ears, but I didn’t look back. Each step I took down the corridor was deliberate, a reminder to myself that I was in control. I could feel the eyes of the employees on me, sensing the storm that had just passed through.

Good. Let them watch. Let them wonder.

I reached the elevator, pressing the button with more force than necessary. The doors slid open, and I stepped inside, the quiet hum of the machinery a stark contrast to the battle I’d...