Raymond walked in a moment later, holding a stack of legal documents.

He sat to my right, opening his folder and arranging the papers in neat rows.

We waited in silence.

At five minutes to nine, the other board members began to arrive.

They entered in small groups, whispering among themselves.

When they saw me sitting at the head of the table, the whispering stopped.

They took their seats in silence, looking from me to Elliot, then to each other.

None of them dared to ask why I was there.

At exactly nine o’clock, the heavy oak doors opened again.

Graham walked in.

He was wearing a tailored navy suit, his hair perfectly combed.

Two of his personal attorneys walked behind him, carrying leather portfolios.

He was talking to one of them, a smug smile on his face.

“We’ll settle the restructuring terms by noon,” Graham was saying.

He stepped fully into the room and stopped.

His eyes locked onto me.

The smile vanished from his face.

He looked at the empty seat at the head of the table, then at me sitting in it.