Chapter 2 - The Command Center
The explosive news spread through the fifty floors of Hawthorne Capital faster than a catastrophic wildfire.
By the time I reached Richard's top-floor executive suite, my cell phone was aggressively vibrating with frantic, non-stop messages.
My husband, Caleb, had already called me exactly fourteen times in the span of five short minutes.
I ignored every single one of his desperate attempts to reach me.
Richard poured two heavy glasses of incredibly expensive, aged scotch and handed one across the desk to me.
“You took a massive, unnecessary risk letting that viper hit you in public,” the old man grumbled, taking a long, slow sip of his drink.
“It wasn't a risk, Richard, it was a perfectly calculated necessity,” I replied smoothly, leaning back in the plush leather chair.
“It was the final, undeniable piece of leverage we needed to execute her immediate termination without requiring a lengthy board vote.”
He chuckled, a dry, raspy sound that echoed loudly throughout the luxurious, wood-paneled office.
“Do you have the final offshore account numbers confirmed?” he asked, his business instincts instantly taking over.
I reached deep into my leather handbag and pulled out a thick, black, encrypted flash drive.
“Every single wire transfer, every fake shell company, and every forged authorization signature is right here,” I confirmed confidently.
Victoria had mercilessly stolen over forty million dollars over the last five years to secretly fund her lavish lifestyle and solidify her toxic power.
Suddenly, the heavy oak double doors to the executive office flew wide open.
Caleb rushed into the room, his silk tie crooked, his face flushed, and his chest heaving with heavy, panicked breaths.
He looked wildly from Richard to me, utter confusion and deep fear written all over his handsome, gentle face.
“Emily, what on earth is going on down there?” Caleb pleaded, rushing toward my chair.
“My mother just called me screaming that you somehow got Victoria fired and violently thrown out of the building.”
I set my crystal glass down on the mahogany desk and looked my terrified husband squarely in the eyes.
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“Sit down, Caleb,” I said softly, yet with an authority he had never heard from me before.
“We desperately need to have a long conversation about your sister.”
