Mike sat at the head of the conference table, staring at his phone, waiting for any sign of movement from Ruddy's camp. Every so often, his eyes would flicker to Kiara, but the tension in the air made conversation feel impossible.
Finally, the silence was broken by the ringing of Mike's phone. He picked it up quickly, his expression unreadable as he answered.
"What is it?" Mike asked, his voice low but steady.
Kiara watched him closely, her breath caught in her throat. She could see the muscles in his jaw tighten as he listened to the person on the other end of the line.
After a few tense moments, Mike hung up, his face pale.
"What happened?" Kiara asked, her heart racing.
"It's worse than we thought," Mike said, his voice tight. "Ruddy's not going after the company anymore. He's coming after us personally."
Kiara felt her blood run cold. "What do you mean?"