Chapter 2 — The Board Was Already Set
The first move came before sunrise.
At exactly 6:30 a.m., my phone vibrated once.
One message.
Target entered Phase Two.
No signature.
None was needed.
I looked through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Lancaster estate as dawn painted the city gold.
Behind me, the wheelchair remained exactly where I had left it.
The perfect prop.
The perfect lie.
A soft knock interrupted the silence.
Linh stepped inside carrying breakfast.
She froze when she noticed dozens of security monitors glowing across the wall.
Every screen displayed a different angle.
The ballroom.
The executive offices.
The underground parking garage.
The private elevator.
Even Evelyn's office inside Lancaster Group.
She looked from the screens to me.
"I... I didn't know..."
"You weren't supposed to."
She quietly placed the tray on my desk.
"You've been watching everyone?"
"For months."
Her eyes widened.
"Even before the accident?"
"Especially before the accident."
Silence settled between us.
She finally asked the question no one else had.
"Why?"
I tapped one screen.
Evelyn.
She had just walked into the company headquarters wearing a white designer suit.
Confident.
Smiling.
Already acting like the future owner.
"Because betrayal leaves patterns," I said.
"And people repeat patterns."
...
Across the city...
Evelyn entered the executive boardroom without hesitation.
Several directors immediately stood to greet her.
"Mrs. Lancaster," one of them smiled.
She didn't correct him.
Instead, she enjoyed hearing the title.
"The company needs stability," she announced.
"Lucas isn't coming back."
A few executives exchanged uneasy glances.
"But he's still the CEO," someone whispered.
"For now."
She smiled.
"I'll handle the paperwork."
No one noticed the tiny camera hidden inside the decorative clock above the conference table.
Every word...
Every smile...
Every conspiracy...
Was already being recorded.
...
Back at the mansion, Linh quietly poured coffee.
"You don't seem angry."
I looked at the monitors.
"Anger makes mistakes."
She nodded slowly.
"What makes you dangerous?"
I smiled.
"Preparation."
At that exact moment another message appeared on my encrypted tablet.
Wire transfer detected.
Twenty-eight million dollars.
Transferred from a Lancaster subsidiary...
Into an offshore account owned by Evelyn Hart.
She had finally taken the bait.
I leaned back calmly.
"Thank you."
Linh looked confused.
May you like
"For what?"
"For proving I was right."
