Chapter 2 - The Reckoning
Marcus Thorne sat in his leather office chair, sipping a glass of expensive scotch.
He felt quite proud of himself for maintaining strict corporate discipline.
Suddenly, the heavy glass doors of his office shattered inward.
Two large men in immaculate dark suits stepped through the broken glass.
Thorne dropped his scotch, the amber liquid spilling across his expensive rug.
“What is the meaning of this?” Thorne shouted, standing up quickly.
Julian Sterling walked into the room, his footsteps completely silent on the carpet.
Thorne instantly recognized the billionaire and felt his blood run cold.
“Mr Sterling, this is a surprise,” Thorne stammered, his arrogance vanishing.
Julian did not offer his hand or a greeting.
“You suspended Clara Hayes today,” Julian stated, his voice like cracking ice.
Thorne swallowed hard, sweating under his tailored suit.
“She violated company safety protocols and destroyed city property,” Thorne tried to explain.
“She saved the life of Eleanor Sterling,” Julian corrected him softly.
Julian walked over to Thorne’s desk and picked up a framed photograph of Thorne’s boat.
“I bought MetroGrid Utilities ten minutes ago,” Julian announced casually.
Thorne’s eyes widened in absolute horror.
“You are fired, effective immediately,” Julian continued, dropping the photo into the trash can.
“Furthermore, I have frozen your pension and blacklisted your name across the entire industry.”
“You cannot do this to me!” Thorne begged, his voice cracking.
“I just did,” Julian whispered, leaning in close.
May you like
“If you ever speak Clara’s name again, I will take much more than your career.”
Julian turned and walked out of the office, leaving Thorne trembling in the ruins of his life.
