ROWLAND (From Ruin to Rule)

Chapter 27: The Plot to Sabotage Rowland

The Jones company was buzzing with activity, and the Joneses were even busier. They met in their private office that morning, the weight of their desperation weighing down on them like a suffocating fog.

The city lights twinkled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, but no one noticed. Their sole objective was to halt Rowland's progress.

Mrs. Jones tapped her manicured nails against the polished mahogany desk, her lips pursed in concentration. "If we are going to stop Rowland, we need someone from within—someone desperate enough to do exactly what we need, without hesitation."

Mr. Jones leaned back in his chair, his face strained with exhaustion. "And who specifically do you have in mind?"

Mrs. Jones smiled slyly, her eyes as sharp as daggers. "Shard."

Mr. Jones cocked an eyebrow. "Shard? That junior employee in the design department?"

Shard, a less experienced worker at the Jones company, is incredibly eager for a promotion. According to the Joneses, he has not been deserving of the