The summit ended quietly, as expected.
By the next morning, a brief summary circulated among the participating companies. It listed the main topics and little else—no names attached, no quotes, no commentary on who performed well.
Franz arrived at Rochefort Group's headquarters before eight. The executive floor was still settling into the day, printers running and overnight reports being sorted into trays along the central workstations. He passed the reception desk with a nod, entered his office, and placed the summit materials on his desk without opening them.
Lucas closed the door. Franz noted it—the extra care, the way Lucas waited until they were sealed before speaking. They'd done this dance before. Bad news arrived through open doors. Precautions arrived through closed ones.
"Blackwood's recent moves are drawing interest from two sovereign funds," Lucas said.
"They've already circulated their summary. It's... standard."
