31

Nico's POV

All my excitement fades into thin air as I step into the large hall.

My personal assistant walks in behind me, holding a set of files under one arm.

My mind isn’t here at all; it still feels like I’m back in my office. A part of me wonders if Jasmine would still be there.

"You're late, Clifford," the spokesman of the board says. I look up to see the huge man in a gray suit and black tie. He leans back in his chair at the head of the round table and taps his smartwatch as if trying to prove a point.

I roll my eyes with a shrug, walking deeper into the hall.

"Do you have a problem?" My voice rings out, holding a mixture of indifference and challenge as I stride toward the table.

All the partners are already there. A few of them I recognize from previous meetings and events I was forced to attend. Then there are the ones I have to keep an eye on, always ready to pull out my gun and go full mafia mode if necessary. Like Chad, for instance.

I pull out a chair and slip into it.

M