The silence in the room grew dense, almost suffocating, as Winter fixed Eric with an unyielding stare. Her words had landed like a blade—precise and cold—and her expression left no room for misinterpretation.
"I assume you're not planning to betray your CEO by going behind his back," she said, her voice low and calm—yet laced with unmistakable steel.
Eric's jaw tightened. The accusation wasn't loud, but it echoed like a warning shot.
His features tensed, though he quickly masked it behind the composed facade he'd mastered over the years. Still, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes—brief, but telling. He hadn't expected Winter to strike so swiftly. So directly.
But then again, she always had a way of catching him off guard.
"You've always had a knack for cutting through the noise," he said, aiming for casual. But the brittle edge in his voice betrayed his unease. "I'm not here to go rogue. I'm here because the company needs this partnership. Desperately."
