Chapter 10 - Dawn at Harrington Towers
The sun rose over Boston the next morning with a crisp, brilliant clarity.
By 8:45 a.m., our old sedan pulled up outside the towering thirty-floor glass-and-steel monolith of Harrington Towers downtown.
I wore my best navy blue sheath dress—the same one from the wedding, but today, it felt entirely different. Beside me in the passenger seat, Maya was humming a little tune, coloring in her notebook with a pink crayon.
“Are you going to work in the big skyscraper today, Mommy?” Maya asked, looking up.
“Yes, sweetie,” I said, taking her small hand in mine as we stepped out onto the polished granite sidewalk. “And we’re going to show everyone how it’s done.”
As we walked through the revolving glass doors, the bustling lobby instantly fell into a stunned, breathless silence. Security guards froze. Receptionists dropped their pens.
Julian Sterling was standing near the elevator banks, barking orders at a pair of corporate attorneys, looking frantic and exhausted. He turned around, saw me standing there with Maya by my hand, and turned the color of ash.
“You...” Julian choked out, taking a furious step forward. “You have no right to be here! Security, throw them out!”
Before the security guards could even twitch, the private elevator chime dinged softly. The doors slid open, and Harrison Cole stepped out, flanked by two federal marshals and the senior managing directors of the board.
Harrison looked past Julian, locked his eyes on me, and offered a crisp, formal nod.
May you like
“Good morning, Madam Chair,” Harrison said loudly enough for everyone in the lobby to hear. “The board is waiting for you upstairs.”
Julian’s jaw dropped. The empire had fallen. And the real work was about to begin.
