I smiled.
Samuel shook his head.
“He thought the ownership group was vulnerable.”
“He thought I was vulnerable.”
Upstairs, Ethan was still celebrating.
Samuel’s phone filled with messages from catering staff.
Apparently, Ethan was joking about me.
“Your daughter married down,” one message read.
Another reported Ethan holding up the brass key and calling it “Frank’s souvenir from his janitor days.”
I looked toward the ceiling.
“Give him twenty minutes.”
Samuel hesitated.
“Sir, we can remove him now.”
“No.”
I thought about Lily whispering, Just go.
Anger would have been easier than disappointment.
But I hadn’t spent forty years building an empire by acting emotionally.
“First,” I said, “freeze every contract connected to Mercer Development.”
Samuel typed.
“Done.”
“Notify outside counsel.”
“Already waiting.”
“Terminate his office lease for fraud provisions, effective immediately after legal review.”
Samuel nodded.
“And the penthouse salon?”
I checked my watch.
“Let him finish dessert.”
