The next week, the boardroom chatter shifted noticeably. Adrian moved like a serpent, his voice soft in private corners, his smile rehearsed.One by one, executives began to avoid Javier’s gaze. Their conversations quieted whenever he entered, their loyalty eroding with whispers.Valeria noticed immediately. “He’s poisoning them one at a time,” she muttered under her breath as they left another tense meeting.Javier’s expression remained calm. “The weak always look for a louder voice to follow,” he murmured. “Adrian gives them noise. I will give them silence—and truth.”But the whispers grew sharper. At lunch, two directors spoke within Valeria’s hearing. “The company bleeds while he waits. Maybe Adrian is right.”Valeria’s fists clenched beneath the tablecloth. “Careful,” she warned, her voice low but cutting. “You underestimate the man who built this empire.”The directors shifted uncomfortably, casting uneasy glances. But when they looked at Javier, he was serene, as though he hadn