That night, in the Ellis mansion, confusion replaced certainty. Legal teams scrambled. Compliance alerts triggered. Expansion projects stalled mid process. International partners sent urgent inquiries. No one at the dinner table had understood the weight of what Diana controlled until it began collapsing around them.
At sunrise, Diana brewed coffee in her apartment overlooking the city. She read incoming messages without emotion.
By noon, Brandon stood outside her door. He looked angry, pale, and shaken.
“You humiliated my family,” he said the moment she opened the door.
Diana studied him calmly. “Your mother threw wine in my face. You smiled. What did you expect would follow.”
“You are destroying everything,” he said. “This is excessive.”
Diana tilted her head slightly. “Excessive was assigning a price to human dignity and expecting obedience.”
Brandon ran a hand through his hair. “You could have discussed it privately.”
“I did discuss it,” Diana replied. “At the table. You chose to laugh.”
He stared at her, then looked away. He had no defense. None.
“I thought you loved me,” he said quietly.