Chapter 2 - The Veto
The silence in the ballroom was absolute.
Five hundred people stopped breathing.
Adrian’s eyes darted between my father and me.
"No," Adrian whispered. "You plan charity galas. You review low-level vendor agreements."
"I drafted the vendor agreements to hide the fact that I was auditing your entire department," I replied smoothly. "My corporate law degree wasn't a hobby, Adrian. It was the weapon my father gave me to protect this empire from men exactly like you."
I reached into my evening bag and pulled out the crisp, gold-embossed CEO contract.
The one Adrian had been celebrating all night.
I looked at the signature line at the bottom.
It was blank.
I held it up for the entire room to see.
Then, I ripped it in half.
And then in half again.
May you like
I let the pieces fall like confetti onto the polished marble stage.
"Your promotion is denied," I said. "And your employment is terminated. Effective immediately."
