Chapter 2 - The Shadow of Sterling Industries
The legacy of Sterling Industries loomed over every family dinner, every holiday gathering, and now, my wedding reception. Grandfather Lawrence did not give compliments easily. To earn his approval, you had to survive his ruthless scrutiny. Brandon had spent his entire life assuming the CEO position was his birthright simply because he carried the family name and happened to be the firstborn son.
Yet, over the past fiscal year, my marketing strategies had increased our commercial leasing revenue by thirty-four percent. I had secured contracts with three major tech firms expanding into the Midwest, while Brandon’s commercial division had run over budget on two separate retail plazas in Dayton.
Grandfather had noticed. I knew he had noticed because during our quarterly review meeting the month before, he had looked at Brandon across the mahogany boardroom table and said, “Effort is measured in numbers, Brandon, not intentions.”
That sentence had effectively sealed Brandon’s panic. He knew the official succession announcement was scheduled for the upcoming annual board meeting on Monday morning. If he couldn't discredit me, sideline me, or incapacitate me before then, the title of CEO would slip through his fingers permanently.
Which explained the pale powder in the champagne flute.
As Brandon took that deep, triumphant swallow of the poisoned wine, the ambient noise of the ballroom seemed to dial down to a low hum. I kept my expression carefully blank, maintaining a polite, bridal smile for the guests clapping around us. Christian leaned over, whispering against my ear, “Is everything alright, love? You look like you're staring straight through your brother.”
“Everything is under control,” I whispered back, my hand resting gently over his on the linen tablecloth. “Just watching a masterclass in self-destruction.”
Across the table, Brandon lowered his glass. A sudden, sharp wince crossed his features. He blinked rapidly, pressing a hand against his throat as if clearing a sudden obstruction. The smug, cruel smile vanished, replaced by a flicker of genuine confusion.
“Brandon?” our mother, Evelyn, asked, leaning down the table with a frown. “Darling, are you alright? You look a bit pale.”
“I’m fine,” Brandon rasped, his voice tightening uncomfortably. He coughed once, a sharp, ragged sound, and grabbed a glass of ice water, draining it in seconds. “Just... dry throat. Too much talking.”
I watched him closely. Whatever chemical or pharmaceutical compound he had brought with him—likely intended to induce severe nausea, disorientation, or temporary vocal paralysis right before my speech—was hitting his system with compounding force. Because I had switched the glasses, the concentrated dose meant for my stomach was now dissolving directly into his bloodstream.
Down at the center of the head table, Grandfather Lawrence slowly turned his head. His sharp, steel-gray eyes, framed by deep wrinkles of a lifetime spent negotiating multi-million-dollar land deals, fixed directly on his grandson. Lawrence did not miss a single detail. He noticed Brandon’s unsteady grip on the water glass. He noticed the sudden sheen of cold sweat breaking out across Brandon’s forehead.
“You’re shaking, boy,” Grandfather said, his voice cutting through the festive chatter like a scalpel. It wasn't loud, but it commanded immediate attention.
“I’m not shaking, Grandfather,” Brandon lied, his teeth clenching as another wave of dizziness visibly hit him. He tried to stand up to steady himself, but his knees buckled against the fabric napkin on his lap, sending his chair scraping loudly backward against the polished floorboards.
The music from the band stuttered. Several guests turned to stare.
May you like
“Help me,” Brandon choked out, his hands flying to his collar as his breathing turned shallow and rapid. Within seconds, panic overwhelmed him, and he collapsed forward onto the table, his arms sliding out as he knocked over his water glass in a chaotic spill of ice and crystal.
Pandemonium erupted instantly around the head table.
