The room felt heavier after he spoke, as though the truth had substance. Harlan nodded, a slow motion like a tree bowing in a storm.
“You did more than return paper,” he said. “You returned my sight.”
Chase let out a frustrated laugh. “Harlan, do not let this derail everything we have built.”
“We built nothing together,” Harlan replied. “You dismantled. Quietly. Cruelly.”
Chase took a step forward. “You are old. You do not understand the market. Someone has to make the hard decisions.”
“Hard decisions do not include discarding human beings like waste,” Harlan said. His voice had changed. It no longer wavered.
Silence filled the office like smoke.
“Pack your things,” Harlan finally said. “You are relieved of all responsibilities until an investigation is complete. Effective immediately.”
Chase opened his mouth to argue, but Harlan turned away and dismissed him with nothing more than stillness. That silence was more powerful than any shouting could have been.