2026-03-22 18:27:20
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The sun was starting to set when a black car pulled up to the entrance.Ethan's car.All five of them straightened up immediately.The driver got out and opened the back door. Ethan stepped out in his suit, looking at his phone.He didn't even glance in their direction. Just started walking toward the entrance."Mr. Cross!" Gerald called out.Ethan stopped walking but didn't turn around."Please. Just listen to what we have to say."Ethan turned slowly and looked at them.All five of them standing there after waiting all day. Desperate. Pathetic. Exactly what they'd become.He walked toward them and stopped about three feet away."You've been here all day.""Yes," Gerald said."Security told you to leave.""We're not leaving until you hear us out.""Hear what?""Our apology."Ethan looked at each of them one by one. Gerald. Patricia. Howard. Linda. Thomas."Go ahead."Gerald took a breath."We're sorry. All of us. For what we did at the gala. For how we treated you before that. For ev
CHAPTER 105
The morning after the press conference, Gerald stood across the street from Sterling Global headquarters with his hands in his pockets.Employees streamed into the building like they did every morning. Swiping badges. Checking phones. Carrying coffee. Living their normal lives while his had completely fallen apart.He saw Patricia walking toward him from the parking garage. Then Howard appeared from the other direction. Linda and Thomas showed up a few minutes later.All five of them standing on the sidewalk like strangers waiting for a bus that would never come.None of them belonged here anymore."We need to apologize," Gerald said. "Publicly. In person."Howard shook his head. "He won't listen to us.""He might. If we're sincere enough."Patricia let out a bitter laugh. "We humiliated him in front of 600 people, Gerald. There's no apology big enough for that.""We have to try." Gerald looked at each of them. "What else do we have?"Silence.Because he was right and they all knew it
CHAPTER 104
Marcus sat on the edge of his bed in the small rehabilitation center room. The physical therapist had left an hour ago after another failed session trying to teach him how to write with his left hand. It wasn't working. His brain kept wanting to use his right hand, the one that didn't work anymore. The TV was on. Same news channel Vivian was probably watching right now. He stared down at his right hand. The bandages were mostly off now. The wounds had healed weeks ago but the damage was permanent. His thumb was gone. His index finger was gone. His middle finger was gone. Only his pinky and ring finger remained, looking strange and useless without the others. He tried to make a fist. His two remaining fingers curled slightly but there was nothing for them to grip. No strength. No purpose. He picked up a pen from the small table beside his bed. Tried to hold it between his pinky and ring finger. It slipped out immediately and clattered to the floor. On the TV, they were repl
chapter 104
Within minutes, the news spread everywhere. Social media feeds exploded with the announcement. Business news networks interrupted their regular programming to show clips from the press conference. Stock market tickers showed Sterling Global shares climbing steadily upward as investors reacted to the news. In boardrooms across the city, executives stopped their meetings to watch. In coffee shops, people pulled out their phones to see the ex-convict who'd been running a billion-dollar company in secret. In offices and living rooms and restaurants, the same conversation was happening everywhere. Did you see this? The chairman of Sterling Global was in prison. Can you believe it? --- Vivian's apartment was small and dark even in the middle of the day. She has rented an apartment after the stay in the hospital. She sat on her couch with the TV on, though she wasn't really watching it. Some morning talk show was playing in the background while she stared at the wall and thought about
CHAPTER 102
The main conference room at Sterling Global headquarters was packed by 8:45 AM.Journalists filled every seat, notebooks open, recorders ready. Photographers lined up along the back wall with their cameras already aimed at the empty podium. Three major news networks had camera crews positioned at different angles. Everyone was checking their phones, adjusting equipment, whispering to each other about what this announcement could possibly be about.Claire Sterling calling an emergency press conference with less than twelve hours notice meant something big.At exactly 9 AM, Claire walked into the room.The chatter died down immediately.Ethan stood just outside the doorway where the cameras couldn't see him yet. His hands were in his pockets and he was watching Claire walk to the podium with that calm expression she'd gotten used to over the past six months.Claire reached the microphone and waited for complete silence."Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I'm here to make an
CHAPTER 101
Gerald stood frozen in the doorway.The door still open behind him. His hand still on the handle.Staring at Ethan sitting in the chairman's chair."The door, Gerald."He didn't move.Claire walked past him. Her shoulder brushed his arm. She reached for the door handle and pulled it closed.Then she stood beside it. Arms crossed. Watching.Gerald finally found his voice."This is... this is impossible."---His brain tried to make sense of it.Tried to find an explanation that made sense."You're a convict. You have no education. No experience. You can't possibly be—"Ethan opened the desk drawer.Pulled out a black card.Set it on the desk between them."Do you know what this is?"Gerald stared at it."There are five of these in the world," Ethan said. "Issued to chairmen of the five largest corporations globally. This one belongs to Sterling Global.""That could be fake—""Call the bank. Verify it. I'll wait."Ethan slid the card closer to Gerald.Gerald didn't touch it.---He knew
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