Chapter 1: The Board Chooses
Chapter 1: The Board Chooses
The silence lasted only three seconds.
Then Daniel laughed.
It wasn't confidence.
It was panic disguised as arrogance.
"You're lying."
His voice cracked just enough for everyone to hear.
"No one can simply claim ownership of Sterling Global."
I tilted my head.
"I didn't claim it."
A vibration echoed from every phone in the room.
One after another.
Daniel looked down first.
Then Patricia.
Then Chloe.
Each screen displayed the same notification.
Emergency Board Resolution.
Effective immediately, Daniel Sterling has been removed as Chief Executive Officer pending review by the majority shareholder.
Daniel stared at the message as if the words had changed languages.
"No..."
His fingers shook while refreshing the email again and again.
"It has to be fake."
The front doors opened.
Three members of the board walked inside.
Behind them came the company's legal counsel.
No one greeted Daniel.
Instead, every one of them stopped in front of me.
"Ms. Elena Hart."
The chairman gave a respectful nod.
"The ownership transfer has been completed exactly as you instructed."
Patricia's face turned white.
"Ownership transfer?"
The chairman looked genuinely confused.
"There wasn't a transfer today."
He smiled politely.
"Mrs. Hart has always been the controlling shareholder."
The words landed like thunder.
Daniel stumbled backward.
"You all knew?"
"We signed confidentiality agreements years ago," another director answered calmly.
"We were protecting the wishes of her grandfather."
Daniel looked at me with desperate disbelief.
"You let me believe I built this company."
I met his eyes.
"I let you believe in yourself."
His knees nearly gave out.
"You destroyed that yourself."
Security entered moments later.
Not for me.
For Daniel.
The former CEO was asked to surrender his access card, company phone, and office keys before leaving the property.
For the first time in his life...
Daniel Sterling was escorted out of his own house.
May you like
Or rather—
my house.
