Brad straightened suddenly, his tone defensive. “As you can see, this presentation demonstrates bold thinking outside traditional frameworks.” The CEO, expression unreadable, leaned back in his chair. “Brad,” he said slowly, “who validated this data?” The question cut like glass. Brad’s jaw tensed. “Ethan did. He always does…”
Every head turned toward the far end of the table. Ethan looked up from his laptop, his face a perfect portrait of mild confusion. “Uhm, I sent you the metrics in a separate file, remember?” he asked politely. The CEO’s gaze flickered between them. Brad’s color drained. His mouth opened to say, “But Ethan, you always prepare it…”