Liam ran his fingers over his collar, loosening the button. He didn't lift his eyes.

"I was leading a billion-dollar negotiation, Alex," he replied evenly. "My job wasn't to please anyone. It was to close the deal."

"I wanted you to close the deal without almost blowing everything up," Alex said firmly, without raising his voice. "Today, the investors only signed because the offer was too good to refuse. Not because of you. And that's not normal."

He paused, looking straight at him.

"You