Waiting for him to admit what they had already begun to suspect.
And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Because saying it would an accepting that Cora Santiago, the woman he thought was powerless, had brought down a room full of n with just a whisper.
A woman he had once thought too weak to matter had possibly beco the nightmare that now haunted their entire reality.
But he still couldn’t believe it. No matter how loud the signs scread at him.
At that mont Jas looked down at the floor, swallowed the lump in his throat, and tried to steady his trembling breath.
He told himself once more, more like a prayer than a conviction
"It can’t be Cora... it just can’t."
At that mont, Jas clenched his jaw tightly and straightened his shoulders. Enough was enough. He looked around the room slowly, locking eyes with each man sitting there each face that had once smiled at him now twisted with suspicion, frustration, and silent judgnt.
He took one step forward, then another, and finally stood at the head of the room where they could all hear him clearly.
"Let say this once and for all," he began, his voice cold but controlled, firm but not loud. "I have nothing to say to any of you."
Imdiately Murmurs started to rise, but he raised one hand steady, unwavering and continued.
"You all sit here, accusing like you’ve solved so great mystery. But has any of you even stopped for a mont to think what if this ss isn’t because of ?"
He took a breath, then narrowed his gaze.
"What if one of you is the reason we’re all here? What if the person who caused this entire thing is sitting right in this room, trying to cover his own sha by pointing fingers at soone else?"
Hearing what jas just said, They shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
Jas scoffed, shaking his head.
"You think I called this eting? No. You did. All of you. You were the ones who reached out to , set this up, asked for my ti. I ca because I thought we were going to talk like professionals about the contract situation. But instead, I walked into a room full of people who’d already decided I was guilty before I even said a word."
He looked at the man who first accused him. His tone darkened.
"You wanted soone to bla. You didn’t care whether it was true. You just wanted to believe I was the reason the Victor family pulled out, the reason Global Investnts blacklisted you. But ask yourselves why would I bring this kind of trouble onto myself? What would I gain?"
At that mont Silence followed, no one had an answer.
Jas slowly walked over to his chair, picked up his phone, then turned back toward the table.
"I don’t owe anyone here an explanation. And I won’t stand here while you all try to force into confessing sothing I know nothing about."
He headed for the door, his steps slow, deliberate.
"And since I’ve made it clear that I have nothing more to say, I’ll take my leave now."
At that mont, just as Jas reached the door, his hand barely touching the knob, the sharp, commanding voice of the man who had initially called him stopped him in his tracks.
"Don’t move an inch," the man said coldly. "Because you, Jas, had the privilege before."
At that mont Jas froze, his back still turned to them.
The man rose slowly from his chair, his tone growing louder with every step toward Jas.
"You think we all wanted to sit at the sa table with you because of your charm? No. Let tell you the truth now. You were only relevant because the Victor family backed you."
Jas’s fingers tightened around the doorknob, but he didn’t turn around.
"You had power, Jas," the man continued. "Because the Victors made it so. And we yes, we tolerated you, smiled with you, clinked glasses with you because we wanted to benefit. Everyone did. Every single person who treated you like royalty did it for gain. You were a ticket. Nothing more."
Another voice in the room added, "But then you got too comfortable. You started thinking you were untouchable. That no one could question you."
The original speaker stepped even closer. "You started acting like we all needed you. Like we were the ones begging for your attention. But today? Look around you, Jas. The tides have turned."
The weight of their words pressed down on him, but Jas stayed silent.
The man laughed, but there was no amusent in it. "And now I hear from reliable sources—you were slapped. Slapped publicly by William Victor himself. That’s not just anger. That’s a declaration. Sothing big happened, Jas. You crossed a line."
Another man chid in, "And not just that. The contract was postponed. Not rejected postponed. That’s worse. That ans they’re thinking about it. Deciding whether to crush you quietly or give you a way out."
The original voice pressed on. "And look at you running here like a man looking for a lifeline. You? The Jas we used to know would’ve never done that. He would’ve canceled the eting. He would’ve sent soone in his place. But here you are, coming yourself, quietly, even humbly."
The room was deadly quiet for a mont.
"That tells everything I need to know," the man said, voice low now. "You’re desperate. And you’re hiding sothing. You did sothing that turned the Victor family against you, and now you want to play innocent in front of us?"
At that mont Jas finally turned around. His face was calm, but his eyes carried the fire of humiliation. Still, he said nothing.
The man smirked.
"You can keep your secrets, Jas. But rember this whatever ga you played, it’s crumbling now. You may not care about your own downfall, but don’t drag us down with you. If this contract doesn’t co back in a month, none of us will ever forgive you."
He paused.
"And I an none."
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