Allyson's POV
The private dining room felt smaller tonight, more suffocating than the grand hall we'd occupied the evening before. Michael had mentioned Ran specifically requested this intimate setting to announce his final decision. I shifted in my chair, the weight of anticipation pressing against my chest like a stone.
Conversations flowed around me in comfortable waves, punctuated by clinking glasses and soft laughter. Michael's presence beside me was unmistakable, his quiet intensity radiating outward even when he wasn't speaking. Ran had positioned himself uncomfortably close on my other side, close enough that I could smell his expensive cologne mixed with the sharp scent of whiskey.
I kept my focus on my plate, maintaining the practiced smile I'd perfected during countless business dinners. The food was exquisite, but my stomach churned with nerves about what Ran might announce.
