The emergency shareholder meeting felt like a public hanging.
I sat in the back row of the observer section, invisible as smoke. Sterling occupied the CEO's chair like a king facing his executioners—face gaunt, shoulders rigid, that familiar fire in his dark stare dimmed to embers. He hadn't so much as glanced in my direction.
Julian sat across from him, practically purring with satisfaction.
The assault began immediately. Julian's allies lined up to deliver their prepared speeches about Sterling's "failures." Stalled tech initiatives. Damaged investor relations. "Emotional instability stemming from inappropriate personal entanglements."
Every accusation was a scalpel, cutting precisely where it would hurt most.
Sterling fought back, but his defense sounded hollow. The angrier he got,
