Chapter 1

“Mom, help me.”

“They won’t let me out unless I apologize to Ava.”

By the time I reached the school, my daughter had been locked in the bathroom for nearly four hours.

Emily was curled up in the corner, her uniform soaked and one sleeve torn from struggling to get free.

And the four foster sons I had raised were standing outside, surrounding another girl as though they were the ones protecting the victim.

When they saw me, they showed no remorse.

If anything, they looked annoyed that I had shown up.

Jack stepped in front of the girl.

“Mom, Emily insulted Ava first and made her cry.”

“If she hasn’t learned how to respect people, then someone needs to teach her.”

Daniel’s voice was cold.

“We only wanted to scare her a little. She refused to apologize, so we let her stay in there until she was ready to be reasonable.”

I stared at their self-righteous faces, fury burning through me.

Daniel frowned.

“Mom, Emily has been spoiled since she was little. She’s gotten used to treating people however she wants because she knows you’ll always protect her.”

“We were right outside. Nothing serious was going to happen to her.”

I looked at Emily huddled against the wall.

Her whole body was trembling.

Four hours of fear had left her face deathly pale, her lips dry, and her fingers so stiff she could barely unclench them.

“Nothing serious?”

I looked back at Daniel.

“Does she have to collapse before you consider it serious?”

Jack immediately stepped in front of him.

He adjusted his glasses, his voice still calm.

“Mom, there’s a reason this happened.”

“Ava accidentally spilled her drink on Emily’s shoes. Emily got angry and embarrassed her in front of everyone.”

“We’re her brothers. If Emily has gotten too used to using the Carter name to get her way, then we have a responsibility to correct her.”

I stared at him.

The worst part was that Jack genuinely believed he was doing the right thing.

For years, people inside Carter Group had listened when he spoke.

Senior executives respected his judgment.

Major deals moved because he said they would.

Somewhere along the way, that confidence had followed him home.

Ava suddenly grabbed the sleeve of his jacket.

Her eyes were red as she timidly looked at me.

“Ma’am, please don’t blame them. This really is my fault.”

“I can’t afford things like Emily can. I understand why she was upset about her shoes.”

She lowered her head.

“I should have just apologized and stayed out of her way.”

Alex immediately put an arm around her shoulders.

“Ava, stop.”

Then he turned toward me.

“Mom, do you hear her?”

“Ava is the one trying to let this go.”

“It was a pair of shoes. Emily is the one who turned it into something bigger.”

Ryan, who had been leaning against the sink and playing with a lighter, finally snapped it shut.

“Mom, you can’t blame us for taking Ava’s side this time.”

“Emily has spent her whole life knowing she has more than everyone else.”

“If nobody ever tells her no, she’ll start believing everything with the Carter name automatically belongs to her.”

That sentence made me look at him more carefully.

For the first time, I realized this was no longer only about Emily.

The four boys I had raised had grown accustomed to deciding who deserved what.

They controlled projects.

They managed executives.

They sat across from board members twice their age and expected to be obeyed.

And now they had begun bringing that same authority into my home.

I walked past them and went straight to Emily.

Tears rolled silently down her cheeks.

“Mom.”

Her voice was hoarse.

I took off my cashmere coat and wrapped it tightly around her.

“It’s over.”

Jack watched me, his frown deepening.

“Mom, protecting Emily every time she does something wrong is only going to ruin her.”

He stepped forward.

“Emily, get up and apologize to Ava.”

“Then this ends here.”

My hand moved before he could touch her.

Slap!

The sharp crack echoed through the bathroom.

Jack’s face snapped to the side.

His gold-rimmed glasses hit the floor, one lens cracking.

Alex’s expression changed immediately.

“Mom! What the hell are you doing?”

“You hit Jack over this?”

Jack raised one hand and stopped him.

He turned back toward me, a red handprint spreading across his cheek.

“Mom, if hitting me makes you feel better, fine.”

“But I’m not changing my mind.”

“Emily needs to understand that being your daughter doesn’t mean she gets to treat everyone else however she wants.”

Ava shrank closer to Alex.

“Alex…”

“Your mom is scaring me.”

Ryan gave a quiet scoff.

“Mom, we really thought you’d be more reasonable than this.”

I swept my eyes across the four of them.

For ten years, I had watched their confidence grow and thought it was a good thing.

Now I was beginning to understand what that confidence had become.

“If you truly believe Emily has been using Carter money and the Carter name to bully people, then starting today, none of you will spend another dollar of mine.”

Daniel laughed.

“Mom.”

“You’re still trying to threaten us with credit cards?”

“We’re not those kids you brought home ten years ago.”

“You know how much of Carter Group we run now.”

“Do you really think the board would choose you over all four of us?”

“Carter needs us now.”

“Not the other way around.”

He looked almost amused.

“If all four of us walked away tomorrow, are you sure the company could afford it?”

I didn't argue.

I simply held Emily close and started toward the door.

“If you really believe Carter can’t function without you, prove it.”

I looked back at them.

“Tomorrow. Nine a.m. Headquarters.”

“We’ll see exactly who Carter Group answers to now.”

I didn't wait for their reactions.

I took Emily with me and walked out.

Behind me, Ryan’s voice followed us down the hallway.

“She’s bluffing.”

“Give it three days.”

“She’ll be asking us to come back.”