Mr. Thompson sat at the head of the long, polished table, tapping his fingers carefully. The room was poorly lit, the blinds pulled to keep prying eyes from seeing inside. He looked around at the faces of his secret team members—Mr. Gregory, Miss Blake, Austin, and Mrs. Smith. Each of them had played their part in plans before, but this time the stakes felt higher.
"Thank you all for coming," Mr. Thompson started, his voice calm but with a hint of urgency. "I called this meeting because we have a situation on our hands. As you know, the beauty show is coming up, and I’ve picked Eve to be the winner. But we’ve hit a snag."
He paused, letting the stress build in the room. Mr. Gregory shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his brow wrinkled. Miss Blake leaned forward, her fingers linked, while
