Ezra sat calmly in the conference room, Robert on one side and Jackson on the other. The air was thick with a tension that no one could name, but it felt like a coiled snake was lurking nearby - ready to leap out at any moment and strike when the moment was right.

Sam sat in a chair in the corner behind them, sweating profusely and praying Blaise came back as soon as possible.

He wasn't cut out for this, he kept muttering internally, and he wasn't sure how Blaise always smiled through things like this.

"This way, Mr. Hamilton."

Four pairs of eyes snapped to the door as Margaret, a secretary that looked like she'd rather be eating dog food than walking into the same room with the Kings, forced a smile. She gestured broadly, ushering in a man that walked with a casual confidence that would make anyone think this was his building - and the moment he was through the door, she turned and bolted like her ass was on fire.

"Mr. King," Arthur smiled broadly, his perfect smile cutting across his lightly tanned face and highlighting his bright blue eyes, "Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice."

"Of course," Ezra nodded, not standing and not smiling, "After all, Montgomery Enterprises' name still carries as much weight today as it did a decade ago. Please, come in and sit."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, aware of the cold greeting, the lack of a handshake, and so much as the business-expected courteous smile. Yet, his smile didn't waiver - he simply nodded lightly and took the seat at the opposite end of the table where a bottle of water and notepad sat.

It was the only place that was prepared, and it was clear it was where he was meant to be - but it was also as far from Ezra as physically possible in the large room, at the end of the long table.

Another snub, yet Arthur didn't bat an eyelash.

"I don't do well with idle chat, so forgive me for skipping the pleasantries," Ezra said the moment Arthur sat down, "You asked for a meeting of the same day, and I granted it only because you are a representative of my wife's company. I hope you will make good use of this time."

"Ah yes," Arthur's smile broadened, and his eyes softened, "How is young Blair? It's been quite some time since I saw her. She's been away for quite a while, you see, in recovery. Grief does... terrible things to the mind, I'm afraid."

"She is doing as well as can be expected," Ezra said, leaning back and crossing his legs casually.

"I was informed she was in a terrible car accident," Arthur pressed, the worry in his brow not quite convincing, "Apparently in the hospital for quite some time. We were unable to visit, though, which broke her mother's heart. Perhaps we could arrange a visit? I know it would put Ruby's mind at ease to see that she's okay."

"Is this your project proposal," Jackson snapped, glaring at Arthur, "Are you here to speak about business or Mrs. King's health?"

Arthur's smile never faltered, though his eyes hardened slightly.

"You are certainly approaching this business meeting with a very interesting angle, Mr. Hamilton," Robert observed, pushing up his glasses to hide the cold glint in his eyes, "Is it considered standard business practice in your company to arrange same-day meetings to discuss private matters?"

Tap, tap, tap - his finger tapped the table for a moment as he studied the three men on the opposite end of the table.

The cold welcome, the lack of greetings, the unwillingness to discuss the personal details that connected them - he was taking it all in and calculating his next steps.

Ezra waited, giving Arthur that moment to process and adjust.

"We have a project proposal that had been shelved until very recently," Arthur said suddenly, reaching into the briefcase he brought with him and pulling out a portfolio. He opened it, grabbing three copies of a small, stapled packet - standing and walking easily to the other end to hand one to each of the men sitting there.

His eyes flicked to Sam momentarily, nodding at him in acknowledgement, then he returned to his seat.

He didn't question why he sat where he sat, he wasn't rude or pushy - he simply pivoted.

"This is a real estate and resort development venture," he explained, "and it was shelved because the land was found to be... complicated. The original intention was to develop this area. It's relatively remote, but there is a small set of three villages that are isolated near the base of the mountain - this development would create a connection between the major city, those villages, and the coast as a middle point. The villages are specialists in artisans and traditional culture, popular tourists spots waiting to be discovered. The coast and villages would both be half an hour drive from the development location, and it's just under an hour from the city. We hoped to build the resort up, offer shuttles between the strip near the coast as well as to the main gate of the villages - a win win for everyone involved."

He spoke easily, his hands moving casually but expressively in a way that drew anyone speaking into his words. His smile was bright, his eyes focused on the men he was speaking to like they were equals - like they were already partners.

Jackson focused on the packet, reading through it even as he listened to Arthur's pitch - scanning the familiar project and immediately recognizing it.

He gave nothing away, but he subtly tapped his pen against the proposal - once, twice, three times.

"Skip to the chase, Mr. Hamilton," Ezra said cooly, his face unreadable, "You said the land is complicated. If selling a dream earned contracts with my company, I would have been bled dry years ago."

Arthur chuckled, nodding.

"Of course," he shrugged helplessly, "After all, an idea is just that - an idea, right? Making it happen is the real challenge... and that's the issue. The land required has multiple owners, as is often the case in things like this. Half of them were ready to sell, the other half were not. One seller, in particular, had a cultural easement placed on the title."

Ezra raised an eyebrow.

"You are proposing a project on land that is under protection due to its cultural significance?"

Now that was not just bold, that was incredibly telling - this project hadn't just been shelved, it had been permanently roadblocked in a way that no legal means could move it.

"It would be... challenging," Arthur said slowly, clearly measuring the responses of the men at the table, "however, with the right... motivation... it would not be impossible."

"Interesting," Ezra said, revealing nothing, "Tell me, in detail, exactly what you would recommend?"

Arthur paused - tap, tap, tap.

"I'm afraid I wouldn't know," Arthur said, smiling helplessly, "I'm simply aware that the King name carries quite a bit of authority and respect. If you were able to leverage that and convince the right parties to consider alternatives, the project could be everything we originally envisioned."

"You brought us a project that is dead in the water and pitched it like you had brought us a chest of gold," Jackson huffed, sitting back and crossing his arms with a scowl, "Is Montgomery Enterprises really so inept?"

"Ah, you misunderstand us completely," Arthur said sadly, "We paused it for all the right reasons, and brought it to you in case you had the means to shift the roadblock. If it cannot be revived, we accept the loss - but if anyone could do it, who but the Kings?"

"Flattery means little to me, Mr. Hamilton," Ezra scoffed, "You called my assistant and asked for a same-day meeting to join hands with Montgomery Enterprises. You asked about my wife instead of respecting the time of the men in this room. Now I find out that the representative that Montgomery Enterprises sent us brought us a project that is already recognized as a failure before it begins? Are you insulting my intelligence, Mr. Hamilton? Or simply trying to waste my time? Is this how Montgomery Enterprises does business?"

For the first time, Arthur's smile faltered and his brow furrowed slightly.

"That feels quite unfair, Mr. King," Arthur said seriously, "This was the very first project that was available, and the first ones we thought of was you. With your backing, it has serious potential - risk, sure, but potential nonetheless. If is not a good fit, other projects will be available in the future. I came on behalf of Montgomery Enterprises in good faith the moment there was an opportunity in an attempt to create an initial connection between your company and ours."

Ezra turned to Robert, and when Robert nodded - a cold smile spread across Ezra's face that made Arthur's brow twitch.

"You came on behalf of Montgomery Enterprises," Ezra laughed coldly, "I was worried we'd have to be in this room for four hours before you finally said it."

Ezra turned to Jackson before adding, "What do you think? Did you send Mr. Hamilton here on behalf of Montgomery Enterprises to pitch a dead project? If so, I really question your ability to fill in for Blair as her proxy."

Arthur's face froze, and the color drained from it slowly as the words sank in - his eyes flicking to Jackson with panic.

"This project wasn't just paused," Jackson huffed, "It was rejected and an alternative was drafted after we learned about the Indigenous land. I'm guessing Arthur's spies didn't get the new draft. We're working with a land conservation and cultural conservation expert. Same land, different project - it will likely end up a wild life reserve. The strategist hasn't come up with the full proposal yet, but I'm sure it'll be on my desk next week."

Four sets of eyes had moved to Arthur then, and were holding him hostage like chains made of platinum. Arthur nearly choked on his own soul, slowly recognizing he was incapable of walking out with his dignity intact.

"You're Blair's proxy?" Arthur forced the words out through gritted teeth, his façade shattering in the face of the trap that had clamped around his throat.

"I am," Jackson said sharply, "and I appreciating you giving me guidance on the next person to fire. Getting your hand on this project must have been difficult with your spies slowly being picked off - now I have one more to add to the chopping block."

"That's the least of your worries, though," Ezra said, the smirk on his face turning dark, "You said, in front of my legal counsel and with witnesses, that you were here on behalf of Montgomery Enterprises. Not only did you obtain a project illegally, you misrepresented yourself as an employee of Blair's company and suggested illegal means to force a culturally preserved land to retract its status," Ezra shook his head, typing on his phone before adding offhandedly, "That last bit will probably not make it to court, though. Circumstantial evidence rarely does."

The conference door opened then, and two officers that had been waiting outside walked in.

"Arthur Hamilton, you are under arrest for Occupational Breach of Trust, Violation of Trade Secrets Protection..." the officer continued to list the charges, one by one, but Arthur was too busy standing slack jawed and staring at Jackson.

"You set me up!" he roared, finally losing his cool completely, "This was a trap! This is entrapment!"

He continued to scream and yell, fighting against the officers that hoisted him out - all while continuing to list the charges one by one.

Jackson smirked coldly as he watched Arthur be dragged away - patting himself on the back for having tipped off the press before all this.

Arthur was about to walk straight into the viper's nest.

"Well, what did you think?" Ezra looked right at the onyx button on Jackson's tie, and smiled like a cat that had just caught a canary, "Best seat in the house."

In the hospital, Blair looked to Blaise with a wide grin, and they both broke out in maniacal laughter - a plate of half-eaten cheesecake forgotten nearby while they'd sat hunched in front of Blair's phone watching the drama unfold.

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