CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY TWO – CALLING THE SHOTS

The next morning, Joan arrived early to prepare for the meeting. She had spent most of the night crafting her words carefully, knowing that how she handled this could make or break the team's dynamics. As the staff filed in, Joan could feel the tension in the air. Karen avoided eye contact with everyone, while Daniel tried to maintain his usual confident demeanor but failed to hide the worry in his eyes. Zoe sat as far from them as possible, engaged in quiet conversation with Raina. Once everyone was seated, Joan stood at the head of the conference table, taking a moment to make eye contact with each team member before speaking. "Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming in early today. I've called this meeting because it's come to my attention that we need to address some issues that have been affecting our work environment." She paused, noting the mix of curious and nervous expressions around the table. "First and foremost, I want to remind everyone why we're here. The Lighth