"You still don't understand," Bradley began, but Madison had already stepped closer. She removed her charcoal coat and folded it over one arm, revealing the cream blouse beneath. From her portfolio she took a small gold-and-onyx lapel pin bearing the crest of Sterling Holdings Capital. She attached it to her collar and stood without moving, giving the executives time to recognize a symbol they had recently seen on every major document associated with the acquisition.
Helena looked at the pin first. Katherine noticed the company name embroidered on the leather lining of Madison's portfolio. Gregory's gaze shifted from the pin to the woman's face and then away, as though looking too long might make a connection he did not want to acknowledge. No one asked her for identification now.
Madison stepped into the elevator and turned toward them. "After you," she said. Her tone was courteous, but there was nothing uncertain about the invitation.
Gregory entered first. Helena followed, then Bradley, Katherine, Victoria, and Richard, each moving with a stiffness that had not been there downstairs. They arranged themselves behind Madison, leaving more space around her than the elevator required. The doors closed, and the mirrored wall reflected seven faces, one composed and six increasingly uneasy.
The elevator passed the fourth floor, then the ninth. Nobody spoke. By the fifteenth, Richard had taken the lid off his coffee and put it back on twice without drinking. Bradley tugged at his collar, and Helena stared at the control panel as though she could read an escape route in the numbers.
At the twenty-second floor, Katherine attempted a smile. "Ma'am, I suspect there's been some confusion," she began. "If you'd simply explain who--"
"I'd prefer silence, thank you," Madison said.
Katherine closed her mouth. Above them, the numbers continued climbing. Madison watched her own reflection and tried not to think about the pressure mark on her elbow, about the way Sarah had been threatened, or about the familiar pain of being told that the safest thing to do was leave quietly.
At floor forty-three, the doors opened. Olivia Carter stood outside with a folder in one hand and the expression of someone who had heard enough from the building's security coordinator to expect trouble. She looked briefly at the executives and then directly at Madison. Her posture remained professional, though Madison could see concern flash across her face.
"Chairwoman Parker," Olivia said clearly, "the board is ready for you. Transition counsel is present, and we've reserved time for a personnel matter if you need it. Are you all right?"
The word chairwoman seemed to change the temperature inside the elevator. Gregory stared at Olivia. Helena reached for the railing. Richard let his coffee slip from one hand, spilling it across the floor and onto the front of his expensive shoes. He barely noticed.
"I'm all right," Madison said. She turned toward Olivia. "Please ask building security to preserve the lobby recordings from nine forty-five onward and keep all access logs. Please also make sure reception and the guards know they must not alter or delete their notes."
Olivia's gaze sharpened. "Understood. Do you need medical attention?"
"I need to know whether anyone was hurt beyond what I've already seen. We'll check that first. Then we'll proceed to the board meeting."