Chapter 5 - The War in the Boardroom
On Wednesday morning, the corporate headquarters of Whitman Commercial Real Estate was shrouded in thick grey fog.
Daniel stood in his corner office on the twelfth floor, adjusting his blue silk tie in the reflection of the glass window. On his mahogany desk sat three blue folders—the complete file of his personal portfolio, containing sixty-five percent of the firm’s active commercial leases.
The door to his office slammed open.
Harold Whitman walked in, wearing his bespoke charcoal suit, his face lined with dark, furious exhaustion. He slammed a heavy leather folder onto Daniel’s desk.
"You're late for the executive board prep, Daniel," Harold barked, leaning his palms against the mahogany wood. "We have the investors from the Apex Mall deal coming in at eleven."
Daniel didn't turn around immediately. He took a slow sip from his mug. "I'm not attending the Apex meeting, Harold."
Harold froze. "What did you just say?"
Daniel turned slowly, leaning his hip against the window ledge. "I said I'm not attending. In fact, I've pulled my name from the Apex prospectus entirely."
"Are you insane?!" Harold roared, his face turning dark purple. "Apex is a forty-million-dollar acquisition! The investors are coming here because you signed the letter of intent! If you walk out on that deal, the entire board will vote to strip your executive shares!"
"Let them vote," Daniel said smoothly. He walked over to his desk, picked up the three blue folders, and slid them across the polished wood toward his father. "Because as of eight o'clock this morning, I submitted my formal sixty-day resignation to human resources."
Harold stared at the blue folders as if they were venomous snakes. The silence in the office was deafening.
"You're... you're quitting?" Harold stammered, his confident posture collapsing for the first time in thirty years. "Over... over a disagreement at a birthday dinner? Over a stepchild?!"
"Her name is Lily," Daniel said, his voice dropping into a register of terrifying finality. "And she is not my stepchild. She is my daughter. You and Mother spent four years expecting me to treat her like an afterthought, hoping I would eventually grow tired of playing house with Emma. You thought I was weak enough to trade my family's happiness for a seat in your boardroom."
Harold stepped closer, his voice trembling with anger. "I built this company for you and Richard! I built this legacy so your children—your real children—would never have to work a day in their lives! Mason and Chloe have a future here!"
"Mason wants to be an architect, Harold. He doesn't want your real estate firm," Daniel replied coldly. "And Chloe wants to study marine biology. You don't even know them, Dad. You only know the names you want to put on your trust documents."
Daniel picked up his leather briefcase from the couch, stepping around his father toward the doorway.
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"Where do you think you're going?" Harold demanded, turning around, his voice panicked. "You can't just walk out! The Apex investors—"
"The Apex investors signed with me, Harold," Daniel said, pausing at the threshold. "And when I launch my new firm next week, sixty percent of this building's client roster is coming with me. Have a great meeting."
