Chapter 2: The Collapse Begins
“Cassidy… what is going on?” Brendan demanded, stepping toward me.
I took a step back.
Not out of fear.
Out of distance.
“You should sit down,” I said quietly. “This might be hard for you.”
Diane slammed her glass on the table. “Enough of this nonsense! Someone explain what’s happening!”
Arthur tapped his tablet once.
The television behind them flickered on.
A company logo filled the screen.
HALE GLOBAL HOLDINGS.
Jessica frowned. “Isn’t that the parent company?”
Arthur nodded. “Yes.”
“And,” he added calmly, “Ms. Cassidy Hale is its sole owner.”
The words dropped like a bomb.
“No,” Brendan said immediately, shaking his head. “No, that’s not—this is a joke.”
I met his eyes.
“It’s not.”
Diane laughed—too loudly, too sharply. “You? The owner? You couldn’t even pay for your own maternity clothes!”
“I could,” I said. “I just chose not to.”
Arthur continued, voice clinical. “Over the past three years, Morrison Group has operated under Hale Global’s financial backing.”
He paused.
“Without it, it collapses within seventy-two hours.”
Jessica’s face went pale.
Brendan staggered back slightly.
“You’re lying,” he whispered.
“Check your phone,” Arthur replied.
May you like
Brendan did.
And watched his world unravel.
