“No, although that was a nice touch. You’re the best assistant I’ve ever had, but I’m going to need to lean on you more. We’re three months from the end of the year. Work with the head of HR and ask them to source résumés for a team. You build out that team for yourself. Set it up according to your specifications. Work with our experts in-house if you need help. Then find me a replacement for you. You’ll work longer hours but your pay will be triple.”

This time Rafael’s eyeballs bugged out of his head. “Wh-Why? Why this, and why now?”

“Because I trust you. And if there is anything I’ve learned after the last six months, it’s that trust is a very fragile commodity. So? What do you say?”

“I say yes.” Rafael stood, a smile still ghosting his mouth and shock in his glassy eyes. “I say yes because I know that no matter what happens today, you’re still going to get the CEO position, and sooner or later, everyone is going to respect you like I do.”

Ajay nodded. For the first time, he knew that Rafael was right. He was going to fight tooth and nail to make sure that his future was locked into place, just like it should be.

After clearing his throat, Ajay said, “Now I need you to call in Roshan, Tushar, and our FBI contact.”

“Sir?”

“I have a plan.”

“Then I’m on it.”

Time flew by faster than Ajay could’ve expected. He rushed through his call with the Napa Valley land developers and spent the rest of his time preparing notes, information, facts, and figures to get everything just right for his family and the board. He was able to verify the three people responsible for feeding information to the news outlet for the article, thanks to some connections, and then called Raj to let her know. She didn’t say much except to confirm that she was safe in his penthouse and working on her own fallout strategy.

Rafael popped his head in his office and interrupted Ajay’s train of thought at two o’clock. “Okay, they’re all here and in the conference room.”

Ajay’s stomach twisted even as he stood and grabbed his laptop. He handed it to Rafael and asked him to set it up while he started the meeting.

They entered the room together, and the first thing Ajay noticed was the clear divide on either side of the boardroom table. His father, Hem, Mina, Bhram, and Zail sat on one side, while Uncle Frankie and five of the other board members sat on the other. To get that many to agree to come at the last minute to a meeting was incredible.

He’d just have to use their presence to his advantage.