“They will see your name on our debt sheets, and your stock will plummet by morning.”

“Sign a release of your claims against us, or this NDA goes to the media tonight,” Patricia threatened.

The officer tugged her arm again, harder this time, pulling her back.

“Ma’am, we are leaving,” he said, his voice brook no argument.

Patricia ignored him, keeping her eyes locked on mine.

“Ten minutes, Claire,” she said, echoing the warning from my text message.

“Make your choice before I ruin you.”

Elena gripped my arm tightly, her fingers digging into my skin.

“Don’t answer her,” Elena whispered to me.

The siren overhead suddenly stopped, leaving a ringing silence in the room.

The red emergency lights remained on, pulsing slowly like a dying heartbeat.

From the hallway outside, we heard the sound of heavy, synchronized footsteps approaching.

It wasn’t the sound of building security, and it wasn’t the local police.

The footsteps were too steady, too deliberate, and there were too many of them.

A bright flashlight beam flickered from the hallway, casting long, jumping shadows through the glass walls of the boardroom.