Jasmine's POV
The boardroom was still shaking with noise when I pushed the chair back and stood. People were shouting, papers sliding across the table, chairs scraping hard against the floor. Zara's face… white, stiff, trembling… was the only silent thing in the room.
Ares had just dropped the hidden file on the screen.
And everything exploded.
Now all eyes slowly shifted to me.
My heart beat loud in my ears. My palms were hot. And for a second, I wondered if Zara would run. She looked like she might.
I took a breath. A short one. Sharp.
Then I stepped forward.
"Everyone, calm down!" Mr. Hawthorne shouted, hitting the table with his palm.
No one listened.
One board member pointed at Zara. "So all this time… those fake investor reports came from you?"
Another woman added, "You wanted us to believe Ares was unstable? You pushed the narrative!"
Zara blinked fast, her voice shaky. "I…I didn't fabricate anything. Someone sent me files. I only forwarded…"
