Chapter 5: The Price of Loyalty
We returned to Chicago in a frenzy. The board meeting was a battleground. Thorne arrived with a smirk on his face, ready to claim the throne.
But when the session began, the pension fund representative stood up, cited the SEC investigation, and declared their intention to move their shares to the Brooks trust. The room erupted. Thorne’s allies panicked, the stock surged, and by noon, the attempted coup had been utterly dismantled.
Thorne was escorted out of the building by security.
As the adrenaline faded, Daniel and I found ourselves in his private office. The city stretched out below us, a landscape of lights and glass.
"You did it," he said, his voice quiet.
"We did it," I corrected.
He walked over, his eyes reflecting the city’s glow. "I don't know how to thank you. I’ve offered you money, you refused. I’ve offered you safety, you didn't need it. What do you want, Chloe?"
I looked at him—the man who was so powerful he thought he could buy everything, yet so empty he had forgotten how to live.
"I want you to be a brother," I said. "Not a CEO. Just a brother who can sit with Ethan and talk about something other than the market."
May you like
Daniel looked taken aback. Then, a slow, genuine smile spread across his face. It was the first time I had seen him truly relaxed.
"I think," he said, stepping closer, "that I can manage that."
