Chapter 3 - The Public Purge
"Daniel, please, be reasonable," Ashley stammered, panic finally setting in. "We're family! Mom and Michael are inside. Let's just go talk to them privately. We can sort this out without causing a scene."
"Oh, we aren't doing this privately," I promised, a dark, merciless smile touching my lips.
I took Emily's hand and led her out of the sweltering kitchen. Ashley stumbled after us, frantically pleading, but I ignored her. We walked through the grand hallway and stepped directly into the massive dining room.
The music was still blaring. The party was in full swing.
My mother, Margaret, was laughing loudly with a group of wealthy socialites, showing off a diamond tennis bracelet that I had certainly paid for. Michael was at the bar, pouring himself a glass of imported scotch.
I walked straight to the DJ booth in the corner of the room and ripped the auxiliary cord out of the sound system.
The heavy bass cut out instantly. Complete silence fell over the room.
Over a hundred guests turned to stare at me in confusion. Then, my mother saw me. Her glass of champagne slipped from her fingers, shattering against the marble floor.
"Daniel?" Margaret gasped, her face draining of all color as she took in the sight of me holding Emily's hand.
"Hello, Mother," I said, my voice projecting effortlessly across the silent room. "I see you've been busy managing my finances."
Michael practically dropped his scotch. "Bro! You're... you're back early! We were just throwing a little welcome home party!"
"A welcome home party," I repeated dryly. "Is that why my wife was in the back kitchen scrubbing your greasy pots while you drank my scotch?"
The guests began to murmur uncomfortably, exchanging shocked glances. Margaret tried to salvage her pride, plastering on a fake, condescending smile as she stepped forward.
"Daniel, darling, you're overreacting," she said smoothly. "Emily is just... she's not accustomed to this kind of lifestyle. She gets overwhelmed by the guests. We thought it would be best if she stayed out of the way. We were protecting your image."
"You were protecting your own greed," I shot back, my patience entirely evaporating. "For five years, you told me Emily was too fragile to handle the accounts. You intercepted her calls, isolated her in this house, and treated her like a maid so you could live like royalty on my dime."
I pulled out my phone and dialed a single number. I put it on speaker, holding the microphone to the room.
"Yes, Mr. Carter?" my head of private security answered instantly.
May you like
"Marcus," I said, locking eyes with my mother. "Activate protocol zero. Cancel all secondary credit cards attached to my accounts. Revoke all authorized user access. And bring your team into the main dining room."
"Right away, sir."
