Chapter 8 - The Father's Return
The next morning, the luxury penthouse was flooded with bright, blinding sunlight.
The heavy mahogany doors swung open with an arrogant, aggressive shove. Arthur strutted into the penthouse, wearing a fresh, expensive gray suit. He was flanked by two of his corrupt, high-priced corporate lawyers. He looked incredibly smug, radiating the toxic, unearned confidence of a man who believed he had just cheated death.
"Roman!" Arthur called out loudly, expecting to see the billionaire drinking coffee. "I brought my legal team to finalize the debt cancellation! Let's get these papers signed so I can get back to my golf game."
Arthur stopped in the center of the living room.
Roman wasn't sitting on the sofa. He was standing near the floor-to-ceiling windows, wearing a sharp dark suit, looking completely, utterly terrifying.
And sitting in the massive executive leather chair behind Roman’s desk was Tess.
She wasn't crying. She wasn't trembling. She was still wearing the champagne silk gown, but her blonde hair was perfectly styled, and she held a crystal glass of water. She looked directly at her father with pure, unfiltered disgust.
"Tess?" Arthur frowned, his arrogant smile faltering for a microsecond. "What are you doing in that chair? Go into the other room while the men handle business."
Tess didn't move. She didn't flinch. She simply took a slow, elegant sip of her water.
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"She isn't going anywhere, Arthur," Roman stated clinically, stepping forward. "Because this is her desk. And you are standing in her penthouse."
👉 Arthur laughed, entirely oblivious to the apocalyptic corporate earthquake that was about to destroy him.
