The Last Successor

15. The Stalled Giant

While Northwind’s heavy trucks hauled Elena's cargo through the western district, a different scene unfolded at the central city plaza. The construction site of the Sterling Group’s flagship project lay silent.

Dozens of towering cranes stood frozen against the sky. Heavy concrete mixers sat parked along the perimeter, the wet cement inside slowly hardening into rock. Over fifty hired workers sat on crates near the gate, arguing loudly with the site foreman.

Inside the temporary site office, the air was hot and suffocating.

Raymond Sterling slammed both fists onto the plastic table, knocking over architectural plans. His face was red, his eyes bloodshot, and his jaw bandage was soaked with sweat.

"What do you mean they refuse to pour the foundation?!" Raymond roared at his chief site engineer. "I paid your crew three days ago!"

"You paid our base wages, CEO Raymond!" the engineer shouted back, wiping grease from his forehead. "You didn't pay the material transport fees! The cement factory blocked our supply until you clear the two hundred thousand dollar debt owed to Northwind Logistics!"

"Northwind again?!" Raymond screamed, his voice cracking hysterically. "Why does every factory care about a debt from a dying shipping yard?!"

"Because Northwind controls the physical access road to the primary limestone quarry!" the engineer explained, throwing his hands up in frustration. "When you withheld their payment, Director Thomas placed a haulage lien on the quarry gate, so no heavy truck can pass without his signature!"

Raymond staggered backward and collapsed onto a folding chair, gasping for air as sweat poured down his neck.

Six months ago, Raymond thought he was being clever by withholding Northwind’s payment to drain their operating cash. Now, that unpaid bill formed an unyielding wall blocking his project, costing him a ten-thousand-dollar daily breach-of-contract penalty.

The office door opened, and Edward Sterling walked in, supported by Vivian.

The old patriarch looked terrible, his face pale and sunken as he leaned heavily on his wooden walking cane. Vivian looked equally panicked, clutching her expensive handbag tightly against her chest.

"Raymond..." Edward’s voice trembled with exhaustion. "The board of directors just held an emergency meeting, and they voted to suspend your executive signature authority."

Raymond jumped up, his face losing all color. "They did what?! They can't do that, because I am the CEO!"

"You are a fool!" Edward suddenly roared, slamming his cane onto the floor. "The city bank called my clinic because our plaza foundation is three days behind schedule, and they have frozen our five-million-dollar credit line!"

Vivian burst into tears, grabbing Raymond's arm. "Raymond, do something! Speak to your rich friends, like Marcus from Ironclad!"

"Marcus won't answer his phone!" Raymond yelled, pulling his hair in wild panic. "His company was seized by prosecutors two days ago, and he faces federal charges!"

Edward sank onto a chair, holding his chest as he gasped for air. "Two hundred thousand dollars... We are going to lose an empire because you refused to pay a transport bill to an honest man."

"It's not my fault!" Raymond screamed defensively. "It's that loser Adrian! He brought bad luck into our house!"

"Shut up!" Edward whispered coldly. "Adrian is gone, and he signed your divorce papers. He is not here, Raymond, so you did this to yourself."

Edward slowly stood up, relying heavily on his cane. He looked at Raymond with a gaze that held no remaining pride or affection.

"Go to Pier 14, Raymond," Edward commanded softly.

Raymond blinked, his jaw dropping in disbelief. "What? Go to Pier 14? Why?!"

"Take the two hundred thousand dollars from our emergency family vault," Edward said, his voice flat. "Go to Northwind Logistics, hand the money to Director Thomas, apologize, and beg him to lift the quarry lien."

"Beg him?!" Raymond yelled, his face twisting in pure humiliation. "Beg an old man who works for a shipping yard?!"

"If you do not bring back Director Thomas's signed release by tomorrow morning," Edward said, turning his back on his son, "you will no longer be the CEO of anything."

Edward walked out of the office, supported by Vivian’s trembling hands, leaving Raymond standing alone in the quiet, dusty yard.

Later that evening, ocean fog rolled thick across Pier 14.

Inside the quiet director’s office on the second floor of Northwind Logistics, Adrian sat behind the wooden desk. The Black Book lay open before him, its pages displaying real-time financial tracking data from the banking grid.

On his right index finger, the dark iron Sovereign Ring gleamed softly under the desk lamp, while his left hand rested on his father's old watch.

Winston stood near the window, holding his cane, looking out at the main iron gate of the compound.

"Young Master," Winston murmured with a faint smile. "A luxury sedan from the Sterling family just pulled up outside our gate, and Raymond Sterling is standing in the rain holding a briefcase."

Adrian did not look up from the Black Book. He slowly turned a page, his gray eyes remaining completely peaceful.

"Let him wait in the rain, Winston," Adrian said softly. "A few hours in the cold will do his character some good."