CHAPTER TEN

The sleek, glass-encased boardroom buzzed with anticipation as the morning sun poured through floor-to ceiling windows, casting a warm glow on the polished mahogany table. Ethan Hatton stood at the head of the room, his charcoal gray suit crisply tailored to perfection and a shield against the brewing chaos, exuding an air of confidence, yet his heart fluttered with nervousness.

Before him sat a group of potential investors, with their eyes sharp and calculating, their expressions guarded. Their presence alone commanded respect, an assembly of power and wealth that Ethan had been associated with all his life. He stared at them, although his eyes were fixed anywhere but them. He knew he had to bag this deal, he knew that securing their financial backing would bring Hatton Tech startup to unimaginable heights and he needed to be the brain behind it, but their terms were far more intricate than he needed them to be.

The room fell into a hushed silence as the lead investor, Mr. Thompson,