Page 153 of The Rival's Obsession
His presence shifts the temperature of the entire room. People sit straighter. Conversations cut off mid-sentence. Power recognizes power.
Behind him, his business partner Marcus steps in, followed by several members of their own board—all sharp-eyed and silent, radiating billionaire-level scrutiny.
After them, a new acquaintance.
Jaxon Kane.
Eve’s referral. Tech genius. And apparently someone with a stupid amount of free time on his hands.
As Eve and I worked the deck, he and Dante finalized the digital renderings. He’s brilliant. Slightly unhinged. And exactly what this presentation needed.
He slides me a remote with a nod. “All tee’d up and ready to razzle-dazzle.” With a smirk and a wink, he steps to the back of the room, leaning against the wall with his face in his phone.
Across the table, Corrine’s eyes narrow—just slightly—but enough. She wasn’t briefed on any of this, and the realization is beginning to crack her composure.
We move forward to greet Damien and his team—all firm handshakes and polite nods. They take the remaining open seats along the left side of the table, directly across from several of our more skeptical board members.
I return to my spot next to Dante, posture steady, heart pounding slow but strong.
Beside me, Dante leans in slightly, his voice pitched low enough only I can hear.
“You okay, bug?”
Corrine adjusts her blazer that doesn’t need fixing, her fingers stiff. She forces a smile at me—two seconds too late, two shades too tight.
Then I look at the table full of board members—ours and Wolfe’s. And at the future about to unfold in the room we are finally taking back.
And I realize...
“Yes,” I say quietly. “I am.”
The lights dim with a quiet hum, and I press the remote in my palm.
Across the polished surface of the mahogany boardroom table, the room lights up with a low electric glow—and then the projection begins.
A full 3D model of the Wolfe Complex blooms into view, cast holographically between the board members. The city skyline surrounds it—elevations, shadow play, green space integrations. With one flick, Dante brings up the sustainability overlays.Another flick and the usage flow animates in real time, people moving through the structure in translucent motion.
It’s architectural porn.
Gasps break the silence.
Chairs lean forward.
Whispers start immediately—awed and reverent.
Even Corrine leans in—jaw clenching as she eases back in her chair. She knows we’re nailing this, and she hates it.
Dante’s voice cuts through, cool and assured. “Sustainable energy isn’t a feature. It’s the foundation.”
I take over seamlessly. “This design incorporates solar membrane skin, geothermal cores, and fully adaptive shading. Energy-positive. Carbon-negative. And built for resilience.”
We keep going—like we’ve practiced for years. Revolutionary tech integration. AI-responsive infrastructure. Spaces designed not just for function but for culture, collaboration, and legacy.
The questions, the discussions, the pull-ins to show the detail and bring them into the building in a way they’ve never before seen on a pitch—couldn’t have gone more perfectly.
By the time we finish, the room is quiet again—but this time, stunned into silence.
Then Damien Wolfe rises.
