CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE - The Turning Point

Max Bennett sat in his home office, staring out the window at the city skyline. The past few weeks had been a blur of crisis meetings, angry phone calls, and sleepless nights. He felt like he was drowning, barely keeping his head above water. A knock at the door interrupted his gloomy thoughts. "Come in," he called out. Kal Rosenberg, Max's longtime friend and the company's legal counsel, entered the room. "Hey, Max. Thought I'd stop by and see how you're holding up." Max managed a weak smile. "About as well as can be expected when your company is circling the drain." Kal sat down across from Max, his expression concerned. "It's not over yet, Max. We still have options." "Do we?" Max asked bitterly. "Victor's got us by the throat, the board is in an uproar, and the media is having a field day with my 'incompetence'. Tell me, Kal, what options do we have left?" Kal was quiet for a moment, considering his words carefully. "Have you thought about letting Ava take a more active role