Chapter 1 - The Board Dinner
I adjusted my silk tie in the mirror before stepping out of the penthouse.
Catherine and Penelope were locked securely in the hidden panic room behind the library bookshelf.
My private intelligence team had already established an invisible perimeter around the hotel.
I walked into the grand ballroom with a cold, calculated smile plastered on my face.
Daria stood at the head of the long mahogany table, holding a glass of expensive champagne.
She looked exactly like the grieving, supportive mother she had pretended to be for two years.
I took my seat across from her, surrounded by the wealthy board members of Kincaid Enterprises.
My mother tapped her crystal glass with a silver spoon to command the room's attention.
She announced that the company was moving forward with a massive international merger.
She also declared that I would be stepping down as CEO to focus on my mental health.
I stared at her, realizing she was trying to strip my final layer of power while I was supposedly broken.
I calmly interrupted her speech to inform the board that I was not stepping down.
Daria’s confident smile faltered for a fraction of a second before she regained her composure.
She walked over and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, playing the role of a concerned parent.
She whispered in my ear that I had no choice because she had already sent her security chief to pack my things.
My blood ran completely cold.
She had sent her ruthless head of security directly to my penthouse suite.
My phone vibrated in my pocket with a text message from my federal contact.
May you like
The message warned me that Dr. Weston had just been assassinated in his driveway.
My mother leaned closer and whispered that she knew I was hiding something in my room.
