CHAPTER 1: THE MORNING OF CONSEQUENCES
By 7:00 a.m., Andrew’s phone wouldn’t stop ringing.
At first, he ignored it.
He was used to calls. Deals. Praise. People needing him.
But these calls felt different.
Relentless.
Sharp.
Unforgiving.
He finally answered one.
“Mr. Hale,” the voice on the other end said, tight and formal, “we need to discuss the immediate suspension of your accounts.”
Andrew frowned. “What are you talking about?”
A pause.
Then—
“Per authorization from the primary owner.”
Andrew’s stomach tightened.
“Primary owner?” he repeated. “That’s me.”
Another pause.
“No, sir,” the man said carefully. “It’s Mariana Hale.”
The room went cold.
Behind him, Victoria froze mid-sip of her coffee.
Celeste’s smile slowly faded.
“That’s impossible,” Andrew snapped. “Check again.”
“We have,” the man replied. “All controlling shares… all executive authority… all holding structures—everything is under her name.”
Andrew hung up.
Then another call came.
And another.
Investors pulling out.
Contracts frozen.
Projects halted.
Within an hour, the empire he bragged about… stopped breathing.
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And for the first time in years—
Andrew felt powerless.
