Soon enough, they were all echoing the same ideas.

Bartley smiled grimly, pleased with the direction things were taking.

He slowly got to his feet, his cold eyes focused on the incensed crowd. “Well then..."

Before Bartley could complete his sentence, the meeting room's doors suddenly swung open.

As the doors opened, a towering silhouette emerged from the bright hallway, its gradual entrance casting a long shadow across the room, and instantly, the air was charged with a new dynamic, as if the very presence of this figure had altered the emotional landscape, commanding attention and inspiring a mix of awe and trepidation.

ALL the representatives gathered in the room exchanged surprised glances, each of them curious as to who this new figure was.

Out of everyone in the room, only Bartley recognized the newcomer.

He glowered at the newcomer with barely hidden fury for a long moment before asking pointedly, "Mr. Harris, what brings you here?"

"Who is this, Bartley?" someone asked.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Gerard Harris, Lilah's husband,"

Gerard announced with a smirk. His gaze swept the room with an air of haughty disdain, exuding an aura of condescending authority, as if the very gathering itself was beneath him.

A stunned silence enveloped the room, as if the collective breath of the assembly had been halted by Gerard's sudden revelation, leaving all mouths agape and eyes wide with shock.

"That's Lilah's husband; what's he doing here?"

“What's going on? What does he want?"

"Let's go. He's alone. Kill him!"

A low hum of murmurs spread through the room, like a swarm of agitated bees, building a charged atmosphere that seemed to constrict around Gerard.

Bartley's eyes narrowed, his gaze fixed intently on Gerard, as if he alone could see through the facade to the menace Lurking beneath. The murmurs and tension in the room seemed to fade into the background, and all that remained was the weight of Bartley's knowing gaze, a silent warning that he was aware of how dangerous Gerard could be.

"Mr. Gomez, I thought you would've become more cautious after Losing your daughter, but apparently, you're still making foolish decisions,"

Gerard said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he fixed his gaze on the man standing at the head of the table.

“How dare you speak to Bartley like that!" one of the men demanded harshly as he leapt to his feet. He pointed an angry finger at Gerard, his face purple with rage.

Without warning, a bullet tore through the air, its trajectory swift and silent, striking the man's shoulder with precision.

There was a muffled echo as the bullet burst from the gun and it resonated in the large room, which caused all the representatives gathered there to lose their minds.

"You dare to shoot someone here? Are you crazy?" another man exclaimed as he shot to his feet. He pointed an accusing finger at Gerard and demanded, "Do you know who you're dealing with here?"

Gerard stared at the livid man before him with a detached gaze.