Chapter 2 - The Frozen Inheritance
The phone went dead as Clara lowered her device, her silk blouse glistening under the dining room chandelier.
Her mother-in-law, Eleanor, sat frozen on the hardwood floor, frosting smeared across her emerald top.
Behind them, Mark wiped the pink cake from his cheek, his dark eyes wide with sudden, terrifying realization.
"You called the board," Mark whispered, his voice cracking as he stepped past the overturned high chair.
Clara didn't answer him immediately.
She gently lifted four-year-old Lily into her arms, resting the girl's trembling chin against her shoulder.
"I didn't call the board, Mark," Clara said, her voice dropping into an icy, measured register. "I called the executor of your grandfather's trust."
Eleanor pushed herself up from the floor, her silver hair unravelling from its neat bun as she gasped for air.
"You have no authority over the Sterling Trust!" Eleanor shrieked, her finger shaking as she pointed at Clara.
"The board meeting was set for Friday!" Mark shouted, taking a step toward his wife. "You can't initiate a hostile takeover in forty-eight hours!"
Clara reached into her pocket and tossed a sealed manila envelope onto the dining table, right beside the painting of the American flag.
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"Your grandfather didn't leave the company to you, Mark," Clara stated flatly. "He left it to Lily."
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