The conference room at Thorne Industries was quiet except for the soft tapping of Ethan's pen against the polished table. Julian sat across from him, scrolling through the quarterly reports on his tablet.
"Some minor shareholders are grumbling about Arthur's recent personnel decisions," Ethan said, breaking the silence. "Particularly involving the Dubois and Shaw appointments."
Julian looked up, his expression carefully neutral. "How serious are these objections?"
"Nothing we can't handle," Ethan replied with a dismissive wave. "They're competent individuals, despite certain... family connections. The numbers speak for themselves."
"And Eleanor Thorne?" Julian asked, setting his tablet down.
Ethan's mouth tightened. "She's made her displeasure known. But Damien has been firm on this matter."
Julian nodded, his face revealing nothing of his thoughts. The meeting concluded shortly after, both men returning to their respective offices.
---