The crystal champagne flute slipped from Christopher’s fingers and struck the polished marble floor of the grand ballroom with a sharp, explosive crack.

The executive boardroom on the fortieth floor of the Foster Tower offered a panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline. The floor-to-ceiling glass windows reflected the bright autumn sunlight, bathing the mahogany conference table in a sharp, blinding glare.

When I stepped off the private elevator, wearing a sharp, charcoal-gray pantsuit instead of white satin, the board members seated around the table immediately stood up.

Victoria Vance was already there, sitting at the far end of the table, her expression carved out of stone. Beside her sat three senior vice presidents who had spent years nodding blindly at Conrad’s reckless expansion strategies.

“Elena,” Victoria said, her voice trembling slightly with suppressed rage. “You have no legal right to be standing at the head of this table.”

I walked forward, placing my leather portfolio on the mahogany surface, and looked down at her with absolute calm.

“Check the corporate bylaws, Victoria,” I said, pulling out a certified copy of the amended partnership trust. “When Conrad used fraudulent corporate assets as collateral for personal real estate ventures—a fact confirmed by federal investigators this morning—the contingency clause enacted by the original founder automatically transfers voting majority control to the surviving primary beneficiary of Mark’s estate. Which happens to be me.”

Douglas Sterling stepped up behind me, laying out copies of the signed judicial order for every board member to see.

“The accounts are frozen, the criminal charges are filed, and as of ten minutes ago, Elena Foster is the controlling CEO of this corporation,” Douglas announced, his voice echoing in the silent room.

One of the senior VPs swallowed hard, slowly sliding his chair back. “What... what are your terms for the company, Mrs. Foster?”

“My terms are simple,” I said, resting my hands on the edge of the table and leaning forward. “First, we immediately cancel every predatory acquisition Conrad initiated over the past two years, returning those patents and assets to their rightful independent creators. Second, we audit every single department for compliance and ethical standards, starting with anyone who helped cover up my brother’s embezzlement.”

I paused, letting my gaze sweep slowly across the terrified faces of the men and women who had enabled Conrad’s greed.

“And third,” I continued, my voice dropping into an icy register, “we drop the Foster name from the letterhead. As of today, this company reverts to its original name: Sterling-Vance Engineering. We build things that last. We don't steal them.”