Byano paced the boardroom of Norwood Enterprises, the city's skyline a stormy backdrop through the towering windows, gray clouds mirroring the turmoil in his mind. The revelation from Harlan—security footage showing Marcus meeting a woman who looked like Victoria's lawyer's assistant—had ignited a firestorm of suspicion. Was Victoria dragging their son into her schemes, using him to gather dirt or plant doubts? The brick through the window, the anonymous threats, and Kessler's leaked files all pointed to a coordinated assault on his empire. At fifty-two, Byano had built Norwood from a garage startup to a multibillion-dollar behemoth in tech and real estate, but now rivals were exploiting his personal chaos to wage corporate warfare.
Harlan sat at the conference table, his laptop open, screens flickering with data. "The footage is clear," he said, pulling up the video. The grainy image showed Marcus at a nondescript diner, his posture slumped, facing a brunette woman in a business suit. She handed him a folder, her gestures urgent. "We traced her—Lydia Hale, works for Langston. Victoria's lawyer."
Byano's fists clenched. "What did she give him? And why Marcus?"
"Unknown yet," Harlan replied. "But the timing—right before Marcus ran to the pier. Maybe planting seeds of doubt about you. And Apex Corp just announced a competing AI security platform, mirroring our Horizon merger specs. Kessler's handiwork."
The merger with Horizon Tech was critical, a $2 billion deal to integrate advanced AI into Norwood's data security systems. A leak could derail it, costing shareholders millions and weakening Byano's position amid the divorce. Rivals like Apex, led by cutthroat CEO Victor Kane, had long eyed Norwood's market share. Kane, a former colleague turned adversary, thrived on underhanded tactics—poaching talent, spreading rumors, and now, apparently, colluding with Kessler.
"Call an emergency board meeting," Byano said, his voice steel. "We expose Kessler, lock down the merger."
The meeting convened hours later, the boardroom filled with suited executives, tension thick as the rain now lashing the windows. Kessler sat at the end, his balding head gleaming under the lights, his expression smug. Byano stood at the head, projecting calm authority. "Ladies, gentlemen, we've identified a leak. Sensitive merger details have surfaced at Apex."
Murmurs rippled through the room. Kessler shifted, his eyes narrowing. "Accusations, Byano? Without proof?"
Harlan projected the emails, the false data they'd fed Kessler now appearing in Apex's announcement. "Proof enough," Byano said. "You're terminated, Kessler. And we'll pursue legal action."
Kessler's face reddened. "You think you're untouchable? Your family's falling apart—divorce, depressed kid. Apex knows your weaknesses."
The threat hung heavy, confirming Byano's suspicions. As security escorted Kessler out, Byano's mind raced. Kane was behind this, exploiting the divorce distractions. He called Evelyn. "Link Kessler to Langston. Victoria's pulling strings with Apex."
Back at the penthouse, Byano updated Elena and Sophia, who were with Marcus. "Dad, this is war," Elena said, her eyes fierce. "EcoThreads just lost another supplier—rumors of Norwood instability."
Sophia nodded, her sketchbook open to a new piece, a stormy abstract. "And my exhibit sponsor pulled out. Someone's targeting us all."
Marcus looked up from his journal, his voice quiet. "That woman at the diner... she said you had secrets, Dad. From the past."
Byano's heart sank. "What secrets?"
"Something about a deal gone wrong, early days." Marcus's eyes searched his father's face.
Byano sighed, sitting beside him. "A mistake. I cut corners to fund the startup. Fixed it years ago, but someone dug it up."
The family bonded over the revelation, but the warfare escalated. Byano's phone buzzed—a new anonymous email: Apex is just the beginning. Surrender the merger, or lose everything.
Cliffhanger: Harlan uncovers a wire transfer from Apex to Lydia Hale, linking Victoria directly to the sabotage.