Ryan had been out for a while, and in his absence, the conference room buzzed again with hushed discussions.
Voices of agreement, dissent, and some outright kicking someone when they're down filled the air.
Regardless of individual opinions, the fact was that the voices supporting Alice were dwindling.
Yet, Alice, at the eye of the storm, was a picture of calm.
She elegantly crossed one leg over the other, sitting serenely on the sofa.
She had just had someone bring her a freshly brewed coffee, her lips parting slightly to gently blow away the steam.
She had this inexplicable trust in Ryan, even finding time to enjoy her coffee amidst the chaos.
"Miss Alice, your guy hasn't gotten back to you yet, looks like he's out of options."
"I told you, it was a pointless move from the start."
After witnessing Alice's fierce tactics before, Rocco was probably the only one bold enough to talk back.