Chapter 8 - The Falling StarA collective gasp rippled through the boardroom.
"You can't do this!" Daniel shouted, slamming his fists onto the table. "I built this brand! My face is on the marketing materials! The investors trust me!"
"The investors trust the technology, Daniel," Katherine said, her expression entirely neutral. "And the technology belongs to me. If you check your corporate email—oh wait, you can't, your access has been revoked—you would see that our three largest clients have already signed new service agreements directly with Sterling Legacy LLC."
Miriam Cole stepped forward, handing Daniel a single, white envelope. "Your personal belongings from your office have been packed and placed in the lobby. You have ten minutes to vacate the building before security escorts you from the premises."
"Mom, please!" Daniel pleaded, his voice cracking, the arrogant facade finally cracking. "I have a family! Vanessa just gave birth! We have no place to go!"
"You have the suburban house, Daniel," Katherine said softly, her eyes holding a faint trace of sadness. "The small, three-bedroom house where I raised you. The one you told your friends was a 'shack' you escaped from. I’ve paid the utilities for the next month. After that, you’re on your own."
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"You're a monster," Daniel hissed, his teeth clenched, his eyes burning with rage. "You’re destroying your own son over a stupid argument in a hospital room!"
"I didn't destroy you, Daniel," Katherine said, looking back down at her papers. "You destroyed yourself the moment you decided that success gave you the right to look down on the people who carried you to the top. Security will show you out."
