“I’d say yes if anyone ever asked me.” Hannah Price said it so softly that even she wished she could pull the words back before they reached the other side of the folding table.

Friday morning, 8:45 AM.

The executive boardroom on the fortiech floor of Mercer Tower was a palace of glass, polished mahogany, and icy corporate power.

The five board members sat around the long oval table. Richard Mercer sat near the head, shuffling his papers with smug confidence. He had spent the morning whispering in the ears of the two oldest board members, reminding them of the higher short-term profits promised by total demolition.

At 8:55 AM, Grant walked into the room. He carried no folders, no laptops. He walked in with total composure, taking his seat at the head of the table as Chief Executive Officer.

Beside him, taking a guest chair near the window, sat Hannah Price, wearing a simple, elegant dark green dress.

"Grant," Richard said, a patronizing smirk playing on his lips. "I didn't realize we were bringing guests to a confidential board vote. This is highly irregular."

"Miss Price is here as the official representative of the Juniper Street tenant coalition," Grant said calmly. "Her presence is entirely appropriate given the item on today's agenda."

"Let's get straight to it then," Richard said, standing up and opening his leather binder. "Members of the board, before we vote on the $180 million Juniper Street project, I must formally present an issue of executive misconduct."

A quiet murmur rippled through the room.

Richard pulled out a series of glossy photographs, tossing them onto the center of the mahogany table. They showed Grant entering Briar House on Tuesday, working late into the night with Hannah, and leaving the premises at dawn.

"Our CEO has allowed his judgment to be compromised by a personal entanglement with the director of the target non-profit," Richard declared loudly. "He has unilaterally revised our development plans, sacrificing corporate profit margins to protect his new... girlfriend. I move that Grant Mercer be recused from today's vote due to a severe conflict of interest."

The board members looked at the photos, then at Grant. The atmosphere in the room turned razor-sharp.

Grant didn't blink. He didn't look flustered. He simply leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table.

"Are you finished, Richard?" Grant asked quietly.

Richard blinked, caught off-guard by Grant's total lack of panic. "I... I have presented clear evidence of—"

"You have presented photographs of me doing my job," Grant interrupted, his voice dropping into a register of cold, absolute authority. "I spent thirty-six hours auditing a high-risk property. And as a result of that audit, I saved this company sixteen million dollars."

Grant tapped a button on his armrest console. The massive digital display on the wall lit up with financial documentation.

"Yesterday afternoon," Grant explained, "the City Council approved our revised 'Briar Plaza' design unanimously. By incorporating the historic structure and securing community endorsement, Mercer Vale has been granted an immediate twenty-year property tax exemption valued at $14.2 million, along with $2.5 million in state historic preservation grants."

The board members gasped, leaning toward the screen to examine the figures.

"Furthermore," Grant continued, casting a sharp look at Richard, "the original demolition plan submitted by Richard carried an unhedged environmental liability risk due to underground fuel tanks beneath the east alley—a detail Richard conveniently omitted from his risk assessment. My revised design bypasses the contamination zone entirely, saving us an estimated two million in hazardous soil removal."

The room went dead silent. The board members turned their heads in unison to stare at Richard, whose face had gone completely grey.

"Richard," said Arthur Vance, the senior board member who held fifteen percent of the company stock. "Is this true about the environmental liability?"

Richard stammered, his hands shaking as he grabbed his papers. "I... we were still evaluating the soil reports—"

"You hid it to rush the vote," Arthur said disgustedly. He turned back to Grant. "Grant, your revised plan increases total project net value by eleven percent while securing total municipal support. It's a masterstroke."

"Thank you, Arthur," Grant said. He stood up, towering over the table. "We will now take the vote on the revised Juniper Street Development Plan, preserving Briar House as a permanent community anchor."

Arthur raised his hand immediately. "Aye."

The second board member raised her hand. "Aye."