Chapter 3

8:15 p.m. The first bank delivered a formal demand for repayment.

8:20 p.m. Equipment at the construction site in the southern part of the city was seized.

8:30 p.m. The last of the Knight Group's liquid assets were frozen.

One piece of bad news followed another.

The atmosphere in the conference room grew heavier by the minute.

The suppliers' representatives had also run out of patience.

David was the first to stand. "President Knight, our company has thousands of employees, too. If you don't pay us today, I won't be able to explain myself when I get back. I need to see $500 million in payment for our goods by 9:30 p.m."

The other creditors chimed in one after another.

Some demanded that the Knight family mansion be mortgaged immediately. Others had their eyes on the last shares my dad held privately.

Still others suggested that I use my own assets as collateral.

These same people had called my dad and my brother by their first names every time they saw us.

Now that the Knight family was on the verge of collapse, even their respect for seniority had gone down with the company's cash flow.

Aunt Michele sat down beside me. "Henley."

For the first time, she didn't scold me. "Listen to me. Hand over those five companies. We'll take whatever we can get for them."

I lowered my head and fiddled with my phone. "They can't be sold."

"Those companies are practically about to be dissolved. What's the point of keeping them?"

"To collect money."

Aunt Michele froze, taken aback. "What money?"

I looked up and smiled at her. "You'll find out in a few days."

Her expression darkened. "How can you still joke around at a time like this? If the Knight family really goes bankrupt, do you think you can keep living like a spoiled rich kid?

"Once the gates are sealed, the driver and servants will all leave. Your unfinished buildings don't even have electricity!

"Will you be hugging paperwork while you sleep under a bridge?"

I tried to picture it.

Paperwork was pretty hard. It would probably dig into my face while I slept.

Heston walked over and snatched my phone out of my hand.

The screen showed a list of debts. He glanced at it once and immediately lost interest. "What business simulation game are you playing now?

"Give it back."

"Tell me the transfer password first. That $28 million has to go into the company account."

I reached for my phone.

He slipped it into his pocket instead. "I don't have time to indulge your nonsense anymore. Once the Knight family gets through this crisis, I'll apologize to you. For now, just do as you're told."

Do as you're told.

He'd often said those words to me when we were children.

When I bought my first unfinished building, the whole family said I'd been scammed.

Heston had rushed over that very night with a group of people to confront the seller, determined to get my money back.

When I spent $300 million acquiring my first bankrupt company, he worried people would laugh at me. He quietly paid off the media to bury the story.

He'd always thought I was an idiot, but he'd also always been the one cleaning up after his idiot little brother.

This time, though, he was standing at the edge of the same cliff himself.

I didn't try to snatch my phone back.

Everett glanced at his watch. "One hour left. President Knight, my patience is limited."

Heston picked up the agreement and checked the terms again.

"Once the Dawson Group takes over, it can't lay off any employees. The Knight family's current management can resign voluntarily, but they can't be held liable for past business decisions."

Everett nodded. "Agreed."

"The residential development on the west side of the city must continue."

"Agreed."

"My younger brother's assets must remain separate from this transaction."

Everett glanced at me. "Of course."

He agreed far too quickly.

This agreement had clearly been tailored to the Knight family from the very beginning. He had calculated exactly what each of us cared about most.

My dad suddenly asked, "Everett, why are you so determined to acquire the Knight Group?"

Everett leaned back in his chair. "Business acquisitions have nothing to do with feelings. Only whether the price is right."

He was lying.

His right hand had been resting on the agreement's appendix the entire time. That appendix listed Knight Group's most valuable assets: its logistics channels and industrial parks.

Once those assets fell into the Dawson Group's hands, they would be perfect for covering the debts Everett owed to the companies I'd bought.

He hadn't come to save the Knight family. He wanted to swallow us whole and use the acquisition to escape the money he owed me.

Quite the elaborate scheme.

He'd calculated everything so neatly that the beads on his abacus were practically flying into my face.

At 9:40 p.m., the bank called one last time.

"President Knight, if the money isn't in our account within twenty minutes, we'll formally initiate legal proceedings."

My dad hung up. He sat in silence for a long time before finally reaching out to Heston.

"Give me the pen."