The atmosphere inside Hawthorne Global changed long before the formal vote was scheduled; people still arrived at work, meetings still happened, and reports still moved through departments. On the surface, the company continued functioning exactly as it always had. Underneath, everything was different, every conversation carried hidden calculations, every handshake felt temporary, and every executive was quietly deciding where they would stand when the battle for control finally reached its conclusion.
Adrian felt it the moment he stepped into headquarters. The lobby that once seemed to bend around his presence now felt distant; employees greeted him politely, nobody lingered, nobody volunteered conversation, and nobody looked comfortable. They were afraid, not of him but of what might happen next.
