20

20

The guards hesitated for a moment before stepping forward. Marcus recoiled, holding up his hands as if to ward them off. "Wait, please! This is all a misunderstanding! You can’t do this to me!"

"Actually, I can," Eleanor said coldly, turning away from him. "And I just did."

Marcus’s protests faded into the background as the guards grabbed him by the arms and began to drag him toward the exit. He struggled for a moment but quickly realized it was futile. His final words were a mix of desperate pleas and angry curses, but no one listened.

When the lobby was finally quiet again, Eleanor faced Allvar, her demeanor softening just a fraction. "I’m sorry you had to witness that," she said, her voice much gentler now. "Marcus was out of line, and I won’t tolerate that kind of behavior in this company."

Allvar, still processing everything that had just happened, nodded slowly. "Thank you for standing up for me. I didn’t expect..."

"You didn’t expect to be treated like a human being?" Eleano