Darius did as he was told, casually crossing his legs, while Carl took a seat opposite them.
"You left so early this morning that I didn't get the chance to ask about the trouble you ran into," Carl began, his tone calm, measured.
Arthur scoffed from the side, not surprised that Darius ran into trouble again.
Darius shot Arthur a glance but didn't address the scorn. "Actually, it's nothing, Carl. I can handle it," he reassured him, trying to sound confident.
"It didn't sound that way when I called you," Carl pointed out gently, his voice steady but carrying just enough weight to make Darius pause.
"Yes… because it wasn't then. But it is now. Trust me, everything's fine," Darius replied, forcing a casual tone.
"Okay, if you say so," Carl finally let it go, nodding.
"You mentioned you needed a strategy consultant," Darius brought up, leaning back slightly. His curiosity was piqued.
