The meeting did not wait for her.
By the time Arianne reached the conference floor, the doors were already closed. Voices carried faintly through the glass—steady, uninterrupted. The screen inside glowed with figures she did not need to see to recognize.
She entered without pause.
No one looked up.
Franz stood at the head of the table, jacket off, sleeves rolled neatly to his forearms. One hand rested on the back of his chair. Legal was midway through outlining a compliance exposure tied to a supplier renewal. Operations followed with projected timelines.
The discussion adjusted around itself.
Arianne took the nearest open seat and set her tablet down. The rhythm did not change.
Franz asked a precise question. Finance answered. Legal clarified. A figure was amended, accepted, and logged. Franz nodded once and gestured for the next slide.
No one waited for her input.
It wasn't required.
Arianne sat in silence, her mind already reeling from what was happening.
