"By Thursday, I want everything finalized,” she stated coldly, her voice cutting through the low hum of the room. “We can't afford delays. The last quarter was barely acceptable, and I will not tolerate another slip-up. Am I understood?”
“Yes, ma’am,” came the chorus of voices, though most of them avoided meeting her eyes. The tension was thick. Racheal’s reputation for ruthlessness preceded her, and no one wanted to be the one who disappointed her.
“I need this wrapped up before Thursday,” she said abruptly, standing up from her seat. “I have personal matters to attend to, so everything must be prepared by then. No exceptions.”
She dismissed the meeting with a swift gesture, her mind already racing ahead to the hospital visit she had to make. Her son had been on her mind all morning, a
