Jasmine's POV
The morning of the board meeting came too fast.
I barely slept. My eyes felt heavy, like someone placed stones behind them, but my mind was sharp… too sharp. The last words Ares said last night were still echoing in my head: "Tomorrow changes everything."
I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my blazer for the tenth time. The room was quiet, except for the soft hum of the AC and my shaky breathing.
My hands would not stay still.
I pressed my palm against the cold marble counter. "Get it together, Jasmine."
A knock.
Claire. She pushed the door open without waiting, like she always did. Her face looked calmer than mine, but her eyes held that tightness that meant she was stressed.
"You ready?" she asked.
"No." I answered honestly.
She gave a humorless laugh. "Good. Only crazy people are ever ready for this kind of day."
I exhaled slowly. "Everything is on the line today."
"Not everything." she said. "You still have us. But… yeah. A lot is on fire."
