Goodbye, Mr. Ross

By six o'clock in the morning, the light rising over the city was pale and gray. Ivy stood in the center of the vast living room beside two medium suitcases and a double stroller where Leo and Lily were sleeping peacefully under soft grey blankets.

She wore a black pantsuit, her long dark hair swept up into a tight, flawless bun. Her face was calm, her skin pale, and her eyes completely clear of tears.

Nathaniel stepped out of the master suite, wearing a fresh white shirt and dark trousers. He stopped when he saw her standing by the door, surprised by her composed posture.

"I expected you to cause a scene with the staff," Nathaniel said, stepping into the living room. "Most people looking for a payout do not leave quietly."

Ivy reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a white envelope, placing it on the side table. "That is my formal resignation from Ross Enterprises. As of this moment, I no longer hold any position within your company."

Nathaniel walked over and picked up the envelope, looking at her with a mix of suspicion and annoyance. "You are resigning? Without demanding a financial settlement? That does not fit the profile my mother gave me."

"Your mother gave you a story that suited her greed," Ivy said, looking him dead in the eye. "I spent two years saving your company because I thought I was preserving the work of the man I loved. But that man is dead. He died in Europe two years ago, and whatever walked back into this apartment last night is just an empty shell."

Nathaniel felt a throbbing pressure behind his eyes. He pressed two fingers against his temple, a sudden flash of memory resurfacing in his mental haze. He saw a blurred vision of Ivy laughing in a field of sunflowers, her hand wrapped in his. The vision disappeared as quickly as it came, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

"If you think emotional grandstanding will work on me, you are wasting your time," Nathaniel said, suppressing the pain in his head. "My mother has managed my recovery. She has no reason to deceive me."

"She deceives you because she owns you now," Ivy replied calmly. "And you are too blind to notice. Included in that resignation letter is a formal notice of license revocation. Over the last two years, I personally designed and patented the dynamic risk-assessment architecture that Ross Enterprises uses for its major investment portfolios. I registered those patents under my personal name before taking over management."

Nathaniel's expression darkened. "What are you talking about?"

"I allowed the firm to use my systems under an exclusive, zero-cost license while I was acting chief executive," Ivy explained, her tone completely devoid of warmth. "Now that I have resigned, that license is terminated. As of nine o'clock this morning, your trading desks will no longer have access to my models."

"You cannot do that," Nathaniel said, taking a step toward her, his voice dropping into a growl. "That software powers over thirty percent of our international holdings."

"I can, and I already have," Ivy said, stepping up to the stroller and gripping the handle. "You do not get to use my mind to make your family rich while treating me and my children like trash on your shoes."

Eleanor walked out from the corridor, dressed in a silk robe, a satisfied smirk on her lips. "Is she still talking, Nathaniel? I can call the building staff to carry her bags to the curb."

"She is leaving, Mother," Nathaniel said, though his eyes remained locked on Ivy, an uneasy, churning sensation settling deep in his gut.

Ivy looked at Eleanor with a look so cold, so entirely devoid of fear, that the older woman's smirk faded slightly. "Enjoy your victory, Eleanor. You got your son back. But you had to turn him into a mindless puppet to keep him."

"Get out," Eleanor hissed, her face flushing red.

Ivy did not look at Eleanor again. She looked at Nathaniel one final time. She did not look at him with anger or heartbreak. She looked at him as if he were a stranger standing in an elevator.

"Goodbye, Mr. Ross," Ivy said clearly.

She pushed the stroller into the waiting elevator, the doors sliding shut between them, severing their connection completely.

Nathaniel stood alone in the foyer, staring at the closed doors. The apartment felt suddenly, terribly empty, as if all life had been sucked out of the room, leaving behind a cold, hollow shell.

"Good riddance," Eleanor said smoothly, walking up beside him. "Now we can focus on your press conference with Senator Ashford this afternoon."

Nathaniel pulled his arm away from his mother's touch, a sudden wave of irritation washing over him. "Leave me alone, Mother. I have work to do."

He picked up the white envelope from the table, his hand shaking slightly as he held it, an unexplainable burden settling on his chest.

Stepping out of the living room, his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the screen. It was Julian, his assistant.

“Mr. Ross,” Julian said, his voice trembling, “we have bad news.”

Nathaniel frowned. “What happened?”

There was a brief silence before Julian spoke. “Ross Enterprises’ stock just crashed. We’ve lost ten percent in the last few minutes.”

Nathaniel froze. “What?”

“Sir,” Julian whispered, “the market is still falling as we speak.”