All the shareholders seated around the conference table held a stake in thepany-somerge, some small. M, as Montgomery Holdings''rgest shareholder, took her ce at the head of the table.


    Only then did the meeting officially begin.


    Things moved quickly. Most of Montgomery Holdings'' business revolved around industrial operations, with steady partnerships and established resources. The board only needed to briefly review major projects like oil extraction, energy supply, and thepany''s overseas defense contracts.


    Stability was the goal.


    After each item was swiftly settled, Randall McKenna-a middle-aged man seated to M''s left-finally spoke up, revealing the true purpose behind this meeting.


    Research and development.


    "Chairwoman Suthend," he began, "Al-driven automation in heavy industry is the way of the future. Our subsidiary, Falcon Technologies, has already made significant progress in this area, but they''re facing a funding shortfall. I propose we allocate five billion dors to formallyunch the project."


    Falcon Technologies.


    A sudden hush fell over the room. Instinctively, all eyes drifted to M.


    Falcon Technologies had always been a sensitive subject. It was established by the previous chairman, Lysander, in the face of strong opposition, as a tech- focused offshoot of the group. That alone was controversial enough, but what really set tongues wagging was the persistent rumor that Lysander had gifted thepany to his notorious mistress-Giselle.


    Originally, Lysander and Giselle were the majority shareholders in Falcon Technologies. Now that Lysander''s shares had ended up in M''s hands, Giselle remained thepany''s CEO.


    It was all rather bizarre.


    Ever since M''s unexpected arrival a year ago and her rapid, iron-fisted restoration of order-the board couldn''t help but notice echoes of Lysander in her style.


    Both were ruthless when necessary.


    But for all her decisiveness, M had never once moved against Giselle, despite the endless online gossip and the media''s relentless digging. She simply ignored the notorious ex-mistress and let her be.


    Some called it restraint. Others wondered if it was something else.


    Whatever the reason, the rest of the board, having witnessed M''s methods firsthand, had learned to treat Falcon Technologies as if it didn''t exist. The topic was quietly buried-until today, when Randall brought it up again.


    And not just brought it up. He wanted a huge sum allocated to their new project. The room tensed, everyone sneaking sideways nces at the woman at the head of the table, her face unreadable.


    Randall projected the proposal onto the big screen, calmly exining how automation research would benefit the group. He emphasized that this was a vision Lysander had championed a legacy project, even.


    He looked straight at M. "Chairwoman Suthend, you understand how crucial this initiative is. Intelligent automation could revolutionize management in all our major industrial sectors-predicting machine failures, streamlining maintenance, reducing energy waste, improving safety and risk assessment... There''s no downside."


    "We could always bring in outside partners, but no external team would be as trustworthy as our own R&D department. I hope, Chairwoman Suthend, that you''ll put aside any personal considerations and make a rational decision."


    The implication hung heavy in the air.


    M, however, just smiled coolly. "Personal considerations? Mr. McKenna, you seem remarkably well-informed about my private life. Is there something I don''t know? Perhaps you''d like to share the details with the rest of us?"


    Randall''s brow furrowed.


    Of course, he couldn''t air such rumors in a formal


    meeting especially since none of it was proven. Still, he couldn''t shake


    his suspicion: over the past year, M had shot down almost every Falcon Technologies proposal, even the solid ones. Surely, that suggested a personal bias?


    "Mr. McKenna," M interrupted, her tone crisp, have a technical background myself. I''ve personally evaluated Falcon Technologies'' current team. The project idea has merit, but their R&D capabilities are limited. I don''t believe they''re up to the challenge of implementing intelligent automation on such a scale. If something goes wrong, it could jeopardize our ongoing operations."


    "If you can find a more capable team, I''d support the project. As it stands, I reject


    Falcon Technologies'' proposal."


    "Let''s put it to a vote."


    The directors exchanged uncertain looks. After a round of debate, the majority sided with M.


    Randall''s face darkened.


    In just a year, M had secured control of over half the board''s voting power. If


    she turned something down, it was as good as dead.


    ...


    The meeting adjourned.


    Back in her office, M finally turned to her assistant. "What''s the story with Randall?"


    Leonard, ever perceptive, answered immediately, "He''s been in contact with Giselletely-not often, and I can''t confirm it''s connected to today''s proposal.”


    M nodded. "Keep an eye on them."


    Truthfully, Randall wasn''t wrong. While Falcon Technologies'' projects did have issues, M''s decisions


    weren''t entirely objective. Gisell


    was trouble-she''d even been implicated in a murder-for-hire scheme. The entire Harvey family was a mess.


    M was determined to keep thepany far away from people like that.


    Over the past year, she''d methodically isted Falcon Technologies from the group, waiting until she had hard evidence against the Harveys. Only then would she act-without risking thepany''s reputation.


    Montgomery Holdings was finally stable.


    Affairs at Splendid, their UK branch, had taken longer for her to sort out, but things there were settling down as well. Atst, she could turn her attention to these lingering old grudges.