ELIJAH'S POV
I woke up to the sharp buzz of my phone against the nightstand. Groggy, I reached over and grabbed it.
"Hello?"
"This is Barnes," a sharp voice barked through the line. "From Callington Securities. You know, one of your stakeholders?"
I sat up, rubbing my face. "Yeah, Barnes, I know who you are."
"Then you'll also know how crass it is to demand a meeting this early. The European expansion wasn't supposed to be discussed until next week. What kind of stunt is this?"
My pulse jumped. "What meeting?"
He scoffed. "Don't play coy. I wasn't the only one contacted. I cleared my schedule, and I don't like surprises."
I gritted my teeth. "I'll get back to you."
He hung up without another word.
Deborah stirred beside me, her arm tightening around my waist. "What is it, babe?"
"Hold on," I muttered, climbing out of bed. I grabbed my phone and dialed my secretary.
She picked up after one ring. "Mr. Rossi?"
"What the fuck is going on?" I snapped.
