Eight years later.
Clifford Roland sat at the head of the table in the sleek, modern boardroom of Paragon Group, a top-tier investment firm known for its dominance in real estate development and cutting-edge technology ventures.
Today, the company was holding its regular quarterly meeting to review progress and strategize for the future.
Around the table were key members of the board, including Roy Lloyd, the co-founder and vice director, and Beatrice Kingston, the Chief Strategy Officer.
"We have several important topics to review today, including our financial performance for the last quarter," Clifford started, his tone firm and authoritative.
"Our financial performance has been relatively stable, but we need to address some market fluctuations."
He adjusted his tone, looking respectfully at Roy as he asked, "Mr. Lloyd, would you like to share your thoughts on how we should proceed?"
