Chapter 1 - Twenty-Eight Envelopes
Jason Mercer lunged across the conference table for Captain Claire Bennett’s leather briefing folder.
Claire caught his wrist midair.
She pivoted sharply, used his momentum against him, and drove him face-first onto the polished wood.
Audit documents exploded across the room.
Executives recoiled.
Diane Mercer grabbed the edge of the table.
Claire’s father, Robert Bennett, raised the heavy bronze company award as if he expected the confrontation to become a fight.
Jason struggled beneath Claire’s grip.
“You don’t own this company.”
Claire pinned his wrist beside his face.
Her jaw tightened.
“My family built every inch of it.”
She released him and opened the folder.
Twenty-eight sealed envelopes slid across the table toward Diane.
Termination notices.
One for every executive connected to the freight company’s latest audit scandal.
Diane slammed both palms down.
“Logan was promised this company.”
Claire stopped moving.
Slowly, she turned toward Robert.
“Promised by whom?”
Diane looked directly at him.
Robert lowered the bronze award.
For the first time, Claire saw fear in her father’s face.
He backed toward the glass wall and whispered,
May you like
“Claire… I signed something.”
👉 Robert’s confession meant the company Claire had returned to save might already belong to the family trying to destroy it.
