The silence that followed Director Alistair's words didn't just fill the grand foyer; it crystallized around Nina, transforming the air into something dense and suffocating. Her hand remained frozen against her mouth, fingers pressing so hard against her lips that she felt the sharp, erratic edge of her own teeth cutting into the soft flesh beneath. The metallic taste of fear coated her tongue.
Two hundred and fifty million dollars.
The figure refused to settle in her mind. The numbers scattered like loose beads across a marble floor, impossible to gather, impossible to comprehend. She had grown up counting pennies, rationing meals, making every dollar stretch until it screamed. And now this. In the international film market, that wasn't merely a standard sponsorship tier… that was an entire studio acquisition budget.
