Ryan stepped forward then, approaching the CEO of Riverstone Hospitality—now renamed Hawthorne Group—a man named Richard Coleman, whose face shifted from polite curiosity to visible shock in seconds.
Ryan handed him copies of expense reports… and something worse.
Screenshots.
Messages between Daniel and Lucia.
I watched Richard’s hands stiffen as he flipped through the pages.
I watched Lucia’s face drain of color.
I watched Daniel open his mouth—then close it again, like no lie could come fast enough to save him.
Then Ryan delivered the final blow.
“And just so everything is clear,” he said, voice steady, “Harrison Capital finalized the acquisition of Hawthorne Group’s majority stake this afternoon.”
He paused.
“My brother Ethan will be chairing the board starting next week.”
Daniel lowered the microphone.
For the first time since I had known him, he didn’t look powerful.
He looked… small.
Like a man who had built his confidence on something fragile—and just watched it collapse.
“This is insane,” he said finally, his voice uneven. “Sophia, say something. They’re twisting everything.”
I didn’t move.