CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTEEN - Victor's Manipulation

"That's not all," Sarah continued, her eyes downcast. "Three other major investors have expressed concerns about the company's stability. They're... they're considering withdrawing their support as well." Mason felt the room spin. This couldn't be happening. Just weeks ago, everything had been on track. How had it all unraveled so quickly? "What about the Nexus project?" he asked, grasping at straws. "Surely that's still—" "I'm sorry, sir," interrupted James, the head of R&D. "With the delays we've been experiencing, we've missed our production window. The client is threatening to pull out if we can't deliver within the next two weeks." Mason's knuckles turned white as he gripped the chair tighter. "Two weeks? That's impossible. We'd need a miracle to—" "Or a scapegoat," muttered someone at the far end of the table. Mason's head snapped up. "What was that?" The room fell silent, no one willing to meet his gaze. The implication hung heavy in the air – if Universe X failed, someon