Mateo’s POV

My pen snaps between my fingers. Across the conference table, Promise is dismantling my Q2 projections with surgical precision, and all I can think about is how devastating he looks when he’s destroying my work.

“The Southeast Asian expansion relies on regulatory approvals that haven’t been secured,” Promise says, his eyes flicking to mine for half a second before returning to Marcus Sterling. “Mr. Reyes’s numbers assume best-case scenarios. The risk analysis is fundamentally flawed.”

I lean forward, keeping my voice level. “Conservative projections mean stagnation. Mr. Chen would have us playing it safe while our competitors take the market share we’re leaving on the table.”

What the...