Chapter 269

Alexander POV

Aaron Davies shifted in his seat, clearly not expecting this level of candor. "That's... an interesting observation."

"Just calling it as I see it," James replied. His gaze flicked to Victoria, then to me. "Strategic acquisitions are one thing. Desperate ones are another entirely."

"Desperate seems like a strong word," Victoria interjected, her voice smooth as silk. "We're all successful businesspeople here. None of us are desperate."

"Aren't we?" James leaned back in his chair. "This company handles offshore accounts for half the major corporations in California. The kind of accounts that make certain financial activities... let's say, less visible to regulators. That information would be valuable to someone who needed to understand where money's been flowing."

I met J