Chapter 4 - The House of Cards
The silence in the room was absolute. The arrogant CEO facade Daniel had been projecting completely evaporated, leaving behind a terrified, bankrupt man.
Brooke stepped away from Daniel's arm as if he had suddenly caught fire.
"Wait," Brooke said, her voice sharp and calculating. "You don't own this house? What about the startup? The IPO?"
"It's worthless," Thomas answered for him. "He has been liquidating his assets for months to pay for his hotel rooms and your red sports car. He is entirely broke."
Brooke looked at Daniel, her eyes wide with disgust. The illusion of the wealthy, powerful executive she had stolen was gone. "You lied to me," she hissed. Without another word, she grabbed her designer coat from the chair and walked toward the front door.
"Brooke, wait!" Daniel pleaded, reaching for her.
"Don't call me," she snapped, pulling the door open and disappearing into the freezing rain.
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Eleanor, realizing the catastrophic reality of the situation, turned to Natalie with a sickening, desperate smile. "Natalie, sweetheart, surely we can work this out. Daniel made a mistake, but we are family—"
"Stop," Natalie said. It was the first word she had spoken since walking in. Her voice didn't crack. It was as cold as the ice on the windows. "An hour ago, you threw my baby's diapers into the snow and locked the door. You are not my family."
