Welcome Aboard

Nikolai's Point Of View

Silence.

A thick, suffocating silence filled the room after my words.

Davian and Edward stared at me as if I had just threatened to set fire to their entire empire.

And in a way, I had.

If they walked out of this room without securing this deal, they would spend the rest of their careers regretting it.

Their expressions were priceless, Davian's lips pressed into a firm line, a vein at his temple throbbing slightly as he struggled to maintain his composure. Edward, usually a master of neutrality, wasn't faring any better. His fingers tapped against the polished mahogany table, a telltale sign of his internal calculations.

I waited, unbothered, allowing the heavy tension to settle between us like a weighted blanket.

It was a game of patience now.

And I never lost.

Davian was the first to crack, his voice laced with urgency. "Sir, it hasn't gotten to that."