ie Whit

ease in my heart, I took the private elevator back to the penthouse. I

ne china, but only two seats were prepared. One belonged to Cyrus a

mere sweater. The softer clothing made him look less dis

the chair oppo

ing, simply began to eat. The silence was so heavy

small, quiet bites, waiting for his judgment. His eyes would occasionally land on

His voice was a low, even rumble. "Your foster

more. I didn't know if my handling of

wood Pack is currently fighting the Silver Creek Pack over a mineral deposit in the eastern forests. Ja

ehold, I was never allowed near any discussions of Pack strategy. A

arious Packs' industrial layouts, wanting to be of some use to Jared.

mineral rights to drive up raw material prices and force Blackwood into a bad procurement deal. The deposit itself is mediocre, and the extraction and

His face was unreadable, but I thought I saw a fl

t. Then, "And if you were

to the west to open up new transport routes and buy raw materials from them at a lower cost. I'd invest the money saved into technol

assessing. It was probing, filled with a genuine curiosity... and interest. It was as if he

lasses from a cabinet. He poured them himself, pushing one across the tabl

than eighty percent of the managers on my payroll. It seems Jared rejec

ived such direct validation. I lifted my glass and, from acros

hint of sweetness. I saw the corner of Cyrus's mouth

s wine in silence. But the oppressi

t test and proven that my value was

territory, it was the first