Chapter 11 - The Dynasty Begins to Collapse
The first federal subpoena arrived Monday morning.
The second arrived before lunch.
By Tuesday, Pierce Global's auditors resigned.
By Wednesday, two independent directors demanded Estelle step aside.
She refused.
Television crews surrounded the mansion.
Employees whispered.
Shareholders panicked.
Christopher watched the empire his grandfather built begin to fracture.
For years, he would have rushed to save it.
Now he asked a different question.
Did it deserve to survive in its current form?
Emma answered without knowing she had.
She was sitting beside Yvette drawing a house.
Not the mansion.
A small yellow house.
Three windows.
A tree.
A dog.
Christopher crouched beside her.
“What's this?”
“My house.”
“Where's the pool?”
Emma looked at him.
“I don't want one.”
Christopher's chest tightened.
“Okay.”
She added another tree.
May you like
“Can Yvette live close?”
Yvette turned away before Emma saw her crying.
