Just days before my younger sister’s wedding, my parents gave me an ultimatum. “If you walk into that ceremony,” my mother w3rned, “don’t ever call us your family again.”

Three months later.

The top floor of Vance Crest Holdings headquarters had been completely redesigned.

The heavy, dark wood panelling and mahogany furniture favored by my father had been replaced with sleek, floor-to-ceiling glass, bright natural light, and modern collaborative spaces.

At 9:00 AM, the glass double doors of the master boardroom opened.

I stepped inside, wearing a tailored navy suit, carrying a sleek digital tablet.

Around the twenty-foot white marble table sat the twelve members of the newly appointed Board of Directors—seasoned industry leaders, financial experts, and representative leaders from the employee labor union.

Beside me sat Brooke Miller, who had relocated to the city to serve as the Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, overseeing the full restoration of the employee pension funds.

The board members stood up, offering a warm, unanimous round of applause as I took my seat at the head of the table.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen," I said, setting my tablet down. "Let's bring this meeting to order."

Arthur Harrison, sitting to my left, opened the quarterly financial report. "Mrs. Chief Executive Officer, I am pleased to report that as of 8:00 AM today, ninety-five percent of the missing employee retirement accounts have been fully restored with interest, utilizing the proceeds from the asset liquidations."

A wave of proud, genuine smiles passed across the room.

"In addition," Harrison continued, "our Q2 revenue projections are up thirty-four percent following the announcement of our new green logistics initiatives. Investor confidence has reached an all-time high."

"Thank you, Arthur," I said smoothly. "Now let's discuss our expansion into the West Coast markets..."

My phone vibrated softly on the table.

It was an automated legal update from the State Department of Corrections:

CASE UPDATE: Richard Vance has begun serving his eight-year sentence at the State Correctional Facility. Arthur Vance has been extradited to Federal Custody in Washington State.