Isabella woke up the following morning to Xander's voice, a harsh, frantic whisper coming from his office. Without making any noise, she padded down the hall and stopped right in front of the door. He spoke in a clipped, abrasive, and irate tone.
"You mean the deal isn't working out?" Xander snarled. "In the following hour, I would like to call the board. Make it right. Right now.
Isabella felt a heavy heart. Something significant was going on here; this was not your average business setback. After considering whether or not to interrupt, she paused for a second before the door opened and Xander's icy gaze locked with hers.
In an attempt to calm the anxiety she could see building in him, she murmured softly, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop."
Although Xander's jaw tensed, he gave a small nod and motioned for her to follow him inside the office. His normally polished veneer crumbled under the strain of whatever crisis was brewing, and he appeared more worried than she had ever seen him.
Xan
