Nicholas sat alone in his living room, surrounded by a mess of papers, company reports, contracts, and old meeting notes.
His mind was scattered, flipping through documents with no real focus. Everything he'd worked for felt like it was hanging on a thread.
His phone rang, interrupting the silence. When he glanced at the caller ID, his heart sank.
MOTHER.
He hesitated.
A part of him wanted to ignore it. Let it ring. Let her wait.
But he knew better.
He exhaled and picked up. "Hello, Mother."
"I want to see you now," Elizabeth said coldly, her voice layered with command.
That tone, so sharp, so familiar, made Nicholas's spine crawl. Every time she spoke like that, it took him back to being a powerless boy under her thumb.
"I'm busy. Maybe tomorrow," he replied, trying to keep his voice calm.
"Good," she said dryly. "But that'll be too late, because I'll carry out my actions. And I promise you, they won't be as soft as yours."
His stomach tightened.
