NINA'S POV

For a few seconds, nobody moved.

The silence that followed my words felt heavier than anything I had said. The three men were still kneeling on the floor, staring at me as though they couldn't believe I had actually spoken to the CEO that way, while Carmichael didn't say a word.

He simply looked at me, and somehow, his silence made my heartbeat louder.

I had gone too far.

The thought crossed my mind, but I refused to lower my eyes. I had spent nine years lowering my head, allowing people to decide my fate while I stood there helplessly, and I wasn't going to do it again....