I had faced hostile investors more times than I could count. Hostile boards, hostile acquisitions. One time, I had spent fourteen straight hours negotiating a merger that would have collapsed Dhark Holdings if it failed, and I had emerged victorious. But none of that felt comparable to standing backstage, waiting and preparing for a press conference that could either save my company or finish destroying it. The conference hall beyond the curtains sounded like a storm. I could hear numerous voices, clashing over each other. Cameras, reporters, producers. The constant movement of people preparing to get insight on what half the country was already calling the biggest corporate scandal of the year. Tessa stood beside me with a tablet. My legal counsel and an external PR agent were standing close, reviewing final notes with immense focus. The PR director on the other hand, looked seconds away from a nervous breakdown. “Do not speculate,” he reminded me for what was prob
Last Updated : 2026-06-09 Read more