The meeting room was quiet, almost too quiet.
Steeven and Bill sat across the long glass table, both calm and composed. Files were neatly placed in front of them, and the atmosphere carried a sharp sense of business tension.
Beside them sat Amili.
She looked confident on the outside, but inside, her mind was racing.
"So this is it… today they're going to acquire that Unicorn Company," she thought, her lips curling slightly. "Not happening while I'm here."
The door opened.
A tall, well-dressed man walked in with a commanding presence — Mr. Edison, the CEO of Unicorn Company.
All three stood up.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Edison," Steeven greeted politely.
"Good afternoon," Edison replied, taking his seat.
The meeting began.
Steeven opened the discussion smoothly, his tone calm but authoritative.
"We appreciate you taking the time to meet us. Let's get straight to the point."
Amili narrowed her eyes.
"Wow… straight to acquisition talk already?"
But then—
Edison leaned back slightly and said,
"I'll be direct as well. I'm here to acquire your company."
Silence.
For a brief second, even the air seemed to freeze.
Amili blinked.
"Wait… what?"
Bill's expression hardened instantly.
Steeven, however, didn't even flinch.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Steeven said calmly.
Edison smiled faintly. "Everything is possible… if the price is right."
Before Steeven could respond—
Amili suddenly leaned forward.
"I don't think this deal makes sense," she interrupted.
Both Steeven and Bill turned toward her.
Bill's eyes immediately filled with irritation.
"Didn't we tell you to stay quiet?" he whispered sharply.
But Amili ignored him.
"I mean," she continued, trying to sound confident, "your company isn't even in a position to make such demands. Why would they sell to you?"
Edison raised an eyebrow.
Steeven watched silently.
Bill clenched his jaw.
"Miss Amili," Bill said coldly, "this is not your place to speak."
But she kept going.
"I'm just saying what's logical. If anyone is acquiring here, it should be them—"
"Enough."
This time, the voice didn't belong to Bill.
It was Edison.
His tone was sharp and filled with authority.
Amili froze.
"I don't tolerate unnecessary interruptions in my meetings," Edison said, staring directly at her. "If you don't understand business, then don't speak like you do."
Her face flushed red.
For a moment, she stayed quiet.
But only for a moment.
Because the next second—
Her ego snapped.
"Oh really?" she shot back, standing up. "Then maybe you should learn some manners first! Making people wait and then talking like you own everything—who do you think you are?!"
Bill slammed his hand lightly on the table.
"Amili, sit down!"
But she didn't.
"This meeting is a joke anyway!" she added angrily.
Steeven sighed softly, rubbing his forehead.
Edison simply watched her, unimpressed.
"Security would've handled this better," he muttered.
That was the final blow.
Amili grabbed her bag angrily.
"Fine! I'm leaving!" she snapped.
She turned and stormed out of the room.
The door slammed shut behind her.
A heavy silence followed.
Bill looked embarrassed.
"I'm really sorry about that," he said to Edison.
Steeven, however, remained composed.
"No need to apologize," he said calmly. "Let's continue."
Meanwhile—
Amili was walking down the hallway, furious.
"That idiot! How dare he talk to me like that!" she muttered angrily.
Her vision blurred with rage.
She didn't notice the stairs ahead.
Her heel slipped.
"Ah—!"
In the next moment—
She lost her balance and tumbled down the staircase.
Her scream echoed through the building.
People rushed toward her immediately.
"Call an ambulance!"
"She's bleeding!"
Within minutes, the entire floor was in chaos.
Back in the meeting room—
The discussion had just started to regain momentum when suddenly the door burst open.
An employee rushed inside, breathing heavily.
"Sir! There's been an accident!"
Steeven and Bill both turned sharply.
"What happened?" Bill asked.
"It's Miss Amili… she fell from the stairs. She's unconscious!"
For the first time, Bill's expression changed completely.
"What?!"
Steeven stood up instantly.
The calm atmosphere shattered.
Edison frowned slightly. "Seems like your team has internal issues."
Steeven didn't even respond.
"We'll have to postpone this meeting," he said firmly.
Without wasting another second, both Steeven and Bill left the room.
The deal—
Stopped right there.
Hospital.
The bright white lights reflected off the silent hallway.
Doctors moved quickly while nurses handled the situation.
After some time, Amili was shifted to a private room.
Bandages wrapped around her head and arm.
She lay unconscious.
A few hours later—
Her fingers moved slightly.
Her eyes slowly opened.
Blurry vision.
Confusion.
"…Where am I…?" she whispered weakly.
"Hospital."
A calm voice answered.
She turned her head slightly—
And froze.
Steeven… and Bill… both were standing there.
For a moment, she couldn't understand what was happening.
Then—
Reality hit.
Her face tensed.
Bill stepped forward, clearly angry.
"What were you thinking?!" he snapped. "This is a workplace, not some drama stage! Do you even realize what you did today?!"
Amili lowered her gaze.
For once… she had no words.
"You interrupted the meeting, created a scene, and then—this!" Bill continued. "Do you have any idea how important that meeting was?!"
"Bill."
Steeven's calm voice cut through his anger.
"That's enough."
Bill looked at him, still frustrated. "But—"
"I said enough."
Steeven stepped closer to the bed.
His expression… surprisingly gentle.
Amili looked at him, confused.
"I'm… sorry…" she said softly.
But instead of getting angry—
Steeven smiled faintly.
"You don't need to apologize."
Both Amili and Bill looked at him in shock.
"In fact," Steeven continued, "we should be thanking you."
"…What?" Amili whispered.
Bill frowned. "Steeven, what are you saying?"
Steeven crossed his arms slightly, his eyes sharp now.
"That meeting… wasn't what we thought it was."
Both of them stayed silent.
"They weren't there to be acquired," he said slowly. "They were there to acquire us."
Bill's eyes widened.
"What?!"
Steeven nodded.
"And because of the interruption… the meeting never concluded."
A small smirk appeared on his face.
"Our company… is safe. For now."
Silence filled the room.
Amili stared at him, completely stunned.
"So…" Steeven looked back at her, "you actually helped us."
Her mind went blank.
The same plan she thought would destroy them—
Had just protected them instead.
"I… didn't mean…" she tried to say.
"I know," Steeven said calmly.
Then, in a softer tone—
"Right now, your job isn't to think about that."
He adjusted the blanket slightly.
"You need rest."
Bill exhaled, still annoyed but calmer now.
Steeven continued,
"Take two weeks off. Fully paid. Recover properly."
Amili's eyes widened again.
"Two… weeks?"
"Yes," he said. "And when you come back… we'll continue from there."
For the first time—
She didn't know what to feel.
Confusion.
Relief.
And something else…
Something dangerous.
Because now—
She couldn't tell anymore—
Was she controlling the game…
Or already trapped inside