Danelle smoothed the fabric of her dress, squared her shoulders, and pushed the boardroom doors open.
The moment she entered, all eyes turned to her. The room fell silent—not out of respect, but scrutiny. Every face stared at her with barely masked judgment, like they were waiting for her to fail before she'd even begun.
Her heels echoed against the polished hardwood floor as she walked toward her seat, her expression unreadable.
She took a deep breath, steadying her nerves. She didn't come here to be liked. She came for business.
The long rectangular table was filled—fifteen people total, just like Stella had said. Thirteen men, two women. Danelle could already tell who held the loudest voices.
She had barely pulled out her chair when the jabs began.
"First day at work and already late," one of the older men muttered.
Danelle offered a polite smile as she sat down. "Traffic was a nightmare. I apologize for the delay."
