?Chapter 1289:


    The door eased open. The marketing director stepped in, nerves on full disy. He clutched a fresh proposal, shoulders tense like he already knew the mood inside wasn’t safe.


    William didn’t look up right away. He forced his expression into something neutral, pretending—barely—that nothing had just happened.


    But the energy in the room said otherwise. The air was heavy, charged.


    The director began presenting, voice shaky. He stumbled over the intro, flipping through slides with fingers that wouldn’t stay still.


    Luca stood off to the side, arms crossed, watching the train wreck unfold in real time. He didn’t need to guess how this would end. He was already praying for the guy.


    Then William spoke—calm, at first. “This is what your team spent a week on?” He flipped through the proposal, pages barely turning before he tossed them aside like trash. “Disorganized. Hollow. No insight, no edge. This is what you bring me after seven days?” His voice stayed low, but the words hit hard. “A primary schooler could’ve done better.”


    And with that, he picked up the document and threw it at the man’s feet. Papers exploded across the polished floor.


    The director went pale. He didn’t move. Just stood there, swallowing hard, his body trembling like it couldn’t decide whether to freeze or flee.


    Sure, he knew the proposal had ws—but this?


    “Redo everything,” William snapped. “Or don’t bother showing up again.”


    His voice echoed in the silence that followed. “Briggs Group doesn’t pay to raise dead weight. And it sure as hell doesn’t keep idiots on payroll.”


    The crash from the CEO’s office echoed down the hall. Every head in the open office froze. Fingers hovered above keyboards. Even the hum of typing died off, like the whole floor was holding its breath.


    It had been that way ever since the boss came back from abroad. No one said it aloud, but everyone felt it—he wasn’t the same. Short-tempered. Cold. Explosive. Aside from Luca, no one dared get within ten feet of him.


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    The tension in thepany had gotten so bad, people came to work like they were walking on ss.


    Inside the office, Luca nced at the documents strewn across the floor, then at the director—pale, shaking, clearly rattled. He sighed.


    William stood there, chest rising and falling fast, fury still sharp in his eyes like the guy had justmitted treason.


    Luca didn’t bother defending the man. Just gave him a nod to leave, then crouched to gather the papers.


    He stacked them neatly back on the desk and spoke, voice calm. “Boss, you need to cool off.”


    William didn’t answer right away. He pressed his fingers to his temples, trying to calm the storm still roaring through his veins.


    Luca didn’t move. Just waited quietly.


    He already knew what this was really about. Ste. Still trapped in that vi. Still locked away like some caged animal.


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