Chapter 82. Get a Grip Turner

Travis Turner sat in his expansive corner office, the cityscape sprawling beneath him like a meticulously planned chessboard. Steel and glass towers stretched toward the horizon, their sharp lines softened only by the hazy afternoon light filtering through the panoramic windows. From this height, everything looked orderly, predictable—every piece seemingly in its proper place. It was an illusion Travis usually appreciated. Today, it only reminded him how little control he truly had over the one thing he could not quantify.

His fingers moved across the keyboard with mechanical precision, tapping out commands and adjustments as spreadsheet after spreadsheet filled the glowing monitor. Columns of figures, projected returns, acquisition costs, and timelines scrolled past his eyes. He studied them with an intensity that bordered on ferocity, as though sheer focus could drown out the unrest simmering beneath the surface. The comp