Chapter 113

Ethan burst into his office, his face pale and sweaty, his eyes wide with panic. His secretary's words hung in the air like a guillotine, ready to drop and sever his livelihood. 

"What do you mean they're withdrawing?" he thundered, his voice echoing off the walls. 

"They just decided to pull out, without warning? How could this happen?"

His secretary, a timid-looking woman with a sympathetic expression, shook her head. 

"I don't know, sir. I was as surprised as you are. We didn't have any issues at our last conference meeting. Everything seemed fine."

Ethan's mind raced, his thoughts spiraling out of control. Bankruptcy. The very word sent a chill down his spine. He could feel the walls closing in on him, the weight of his empire crumbling beneath his feet. If this news got out, if it hit the internet and the press, he was done for. Finished. Ruined.

He felt like he was staring into the abyss, with no safety net to catch him if he fell. H