Ryan leaned back in his chair, exhaling through his nose. "Annoying."
A knock came at the door.
"Come in," he said.
The door swung open, and his assistant, a woman in her late twenties with a sharp bob and even sharper eyes, stepped inside.
"Mr. Caldwell," she said, holding a tablet. "Atlas declined the offer. Again."
Ryan smirked, though there was little humor in it. "Of course he did."
She hesitated for a moment before stepping closer. "Should we pursue further negotiations? Or let it rest for now?"
Ryan didn't answer immediately.
He turned his gaze to the massive windows behind his desk, looking out at the city stretching beneath him. The Newton empire was vast. But there were still pieces missing.
ATLAS was one of those missing pieces.
"We'll give it time," he finally said, fingers steepled together. "For now, we watch. We wait. Ethan Grey might think he's untouchable right now, but everything — everyone — has a price."
His assistant nodded. "Understood."
