Chapter 45 : The Razor's Edge

*David*

Stepping into the conference room that fateful morning felt like walking into the lion's den. My heart drummed a rapid beat, echoing in my ears, as I zeroed in on the man seated across the table.

William Reynolds–my longtime business adversary and the thorn in my side that had plagued me for decades.

"You know, Anderson," he said as a greeting, a tight smile on his lips and his eyes glinting with malice. "I never expected to be summoned here. I must say you have surprised me."

His words were laced with sarcasm, a dagger aimed directly at my heart. It was as if fate had conspired to intertwine our lives in the cruelest way possible–through our children. When I accepted Sarah's wedding to his son, I could never have foreseen the twisted turn of events that would bring us to this point.

As I took my seat, I couldn't help but feel the weight of decades of rivalry settling between us. "Surprises keep life interesting, William," I quipped, attempting to diffuse the palpable te