Chapter 3 - Account Frozen
Michael ripped his phone out of his pocket, his eyes widening as he stared at the screen. "What... what is this? Daniel, my corporate card just declined a pending transaction for the yacht lease! It says 'Account Terminated'!"
"Mine too!" Ashley shrieked, her fingers flying across her screen. "My personal account... the balance is zero! Daniel, there's over three million dollars missing from my savings!"
"It was never your savings, Ashley," I said coldly. "It was the allowance I granted you from the Carter Corporate Trust. A trust that requires my digital signature every thirty days to remain active. I just revoked your access. Permanently."
Margaret stepped forward, her face contorted with an ugly, vicious rage. The elegant high-society woman was gone; only a greedy parasite remained. "Daniel James Carter! I am your mother! You cannot leave us penniless! We built you! I raised you in that miserable apartment before you made your fortune!"
"No, Mom," I said, my voice dropping back down to that terrifying whisper. "You told me to get a real job when I opened my first restaurant. You told me I was going to starve. It was Emily who worked two shifts at a diner to pay our rent so I could keep the kitchen open. It was Emily who bought the ingredients for my first menu. You didn't build me. She did."
I looked at the catering staff who were watching from the patio. "Everyone, listen to me," I called out. "This party is over. Pack up your equipment. You will all be paid triple your standard rate for the inconvenience, courtesy of my personal account. But as of this exact second, no one eats, no one drinks, and no one stays in this house."
The caterers didn't hesitate. They began pulling down the decorations and packing up the food in record time, terrified of the billionaire standing in the courtyard.
"Daniel, you can't throw us out!" Michael panicked, stepping toward me. "Where are we supposed to go? All our assets are tied up in your company!"
"Then I suggest you update your resumes," I said. "Because by tomorrow morning, the security team at Carter Global will have your photos at the gate. You are fired from every honorary board position you hold. You own nothing."
"You're a monster!" Ashley screamed, tears of anger ruining her expensive makeup. "You're ruining our lives for her?"
May you like
I looked down at Emily. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small velvet jewelry box I had been holding onto. I opened it, revealing the blinding, flawless diamond necklace resting against the black silk.
"I didn't ruin your lives," I told them, gently placing the box in Emily's raw, shaking hands. "You ruined your own the second you forgot who the real owner of this house is."
