CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY ONE – RIVAL FACTIONS

Miguel felt his stomach drop. "What's this about, Tom?" There was a pause on the other end of the line. "It's... complicated. Some of the members are concerned about the impact of last night's events on the company. They want to discuss our strategy moving forward." Miguel pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. "Alright. I'll be there." As he hung up, he saw Karina watching him, concern evident in her eyes. "The board wants a meeting," he explained. "Apparently, not everyone was as impressed by last night as we thought." Karina's face fell. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause more problems for you." Miguel shook his head firmly. "No, don't apologize. You did nothing wrong. We'll face this together, remember?" Karina nodded, but Miguel could see the worry lingering in her eyes. He wished he could shield her from all of this, but he knew that wasn't the answer. They were partners, and that meant facing both the good and the bad side by side. As they drove to