Chapter 5 - The Ultimatum
I stared endlessly at the laptop screen, my lungs completely forgetting how to draw in oxygen.
My own mother had not just chased away the woman I loved, she had actively tried to murder her.
Evelyn slowly walked out of the bathroom, holding her terrified, crying sons by their small hands.
I quickly slammed the laptop shut to protect them from seeing the horrific truth.
I told her we needed to leave the city immediately, but my phone rang sharply before we could move.
The caller ID displayed my mother's highly secure private number.
I answered the call, my voice dripping with barely contained fury as I spoke her name.
Eleanor's voice came through the speaker, crisp, elegant, and entirely devoid of any human emotion.
She told me she was deeply disappointed that I had missed my crucial flight to Boston.
I told her the Boston deal was entirely dead, just like her tyrannical control over my life.
She let out a soft, patronizing sigh that made my stomach churn with pure disgust.
She calmly informed me that by intentionally abandoning the acquisition, I had formally triggered the emergency morality clause in the corporate charter.
If I didn't sign the final Boston paperwork by midnight, the board would legally strip me of my entire fortune and CEO title.
I told her I didn't care about the money or the company anymore.
My mother chuckled darkly, the sinister sound sending freezing shivers down my spine.
She told me it wasn't just about the money, it was about maintaining absolute leverage.
She said that without my billions, I would never win a custody battle against her high-powered legal team.
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Then, she dropped the final, truly devastating blow.
She revealed that child protective services were already in the hotel lobby, armed with a warrant to take my undocumented, homeless children into state custody.
