Emma was quiet for a long moment, her hand resting on her belly, feeling the tiny movements of her daughter. She looked at the folder again, at the cold numbers that spelled disaster, and then back at Leif—this cousin who had become more of a brother than she'd ever expected."There's one option we haven't discussed," she said slowly.Leif turned from the window. "What option?"Emma took a deep breath. "We liquidate the core assets and merge with another company. Someone with deep pockets who's willing to take a chance on us."Leif stared at her, disbelief flickering across his face. "Merge? You mean—""I mean we find a partner who will absorb Robbins Holdings. Keep our people, our operations, our values—but under a different name." Emma's voice was steady, but her eyes held the pain of the words she was speaking. "We lose the name. But we save everything else."Leif shook his head slowly, the weight of the suggestion pressing down on him. "But we'll be losing our identity. Robbins H

Ahmad entered quietly into Ethan's study, a tablet in his hand, his expression thoughtful."You heard?" Ethan asked, not looking away from the screens."I heard." Ahmad moved to stand beside him, both men staring at the cascading data. "Jennifer is remarkable. She'd be an asset to any operation.""She's already an asset to the right one." Ethan's lips curved into a small smile. "Leif is lucky. He knows it, too."Ahmad was silent for a moment, then: "This is it, Ethan. The perfect moment."Ethan turned to look at him. "What do you mean?""Robbins Holdings is on the brink. The board has been reminded of Leif's value, but that doesn't change the numbers. They still need a partner. They still need capital." Ahmad held up his tablet, displaying the Aurora Pacific portfolio. "We step in now as Aurora Holdings and we save them. Publicly exactly as you planned."Ethan studied the data before him, his mind racing through possibilities. The timing was right. The need was real. Everything they

"Oliver's offer is officially on the table. The family knows now." Ahmad said as he walked into Ethan's study that afternoon.Ethan nodded slowly. "I heard.""According to my sources, Emma and her family aren't condescending.""They'll refuse, yes. But refusal doesn't solve the problem. Oliver will just find another way. Another front. Another attack. He won't stop until the Robbins name is erased."Ahmad studied him. "So we stop him first.""Prepare Aurora Holdings with a full formal bid. We're stepping in."Ahmad didn't move immediately. "You're sure?""I've never been more sure."Ahmad nodded and pulled out his phone, but before he could dial, Mathew Wirtkov appeared in the doorway, his expression serious."Ethan. A word."They stepped into the corridor, leaving Ahmad to begin the preparations. Mathew closed the door behind them, his eyes searching Ethan's face."Once you step into the light as Aurora, you can't step back. You know that, right?"Ethan met his gaze steadily. "I know