Stephen
I should’ve shut this down last night.
That’s the first thought in my head as I sit at the head of the boardroom table watching my own company turn into a feeding frenzy.
Voices overlapping.
Investors are talking like I’m not even here.
“…we need damage control—”
“—this is a PR nightmare—”
“—if regulators step in—”
“Enough.”
My voice cuts through the room clean.
They go quiet.
Good.
Because I’m still in charge here.
I lean forward, fingers tipping.
“These allegations are based on misinterpreted documents.”
One of the older board members, Harris, doesn’t even try to hide his skepticism.
“Stephen, the issue isn’t just the documents anymore.”
“What is it then?”
“Public perception.”
Of course it is.
I almost laugh.
“So we’re running a company based on headlines now
