Empire of Thorne

s in black vests ushering expensive cars into designated lots. Inside, the walls were polished to a quiet gleam

clusive and high-profile that it made the tabloids salivate and shareholders breathe ea

d barely slept in

, she'd worked herself into quiet exhaustion. She hadn't even touched the sea bass at the gala dinner last night, a dish she had s

gacy which included champagne brunches, private boat tours, and Damien Thorne's signature closing speech, usual

praise was suppo

it. Hell, she

g mahogany, crystal chandeliers, and a dozen carefully curated floral ar

d not expec

idnight-blue suit and crisp white shirt. He had that irritating quality of always looking like he belonged,

n her

orne Inte

sacred gathering of legacy. Employees w

ther seated to the left of Damien Thorne, his face unreadable. His fingers tapped light

Even the wheelchair he was confined in had done nothing to diminish his aut

instantly. Even t

twisted. Something

not anymore. Not since she'd proven herself capable of handling every cri

e edge of the room,

l thought and strategic analysis, I have decided it's t

. Loraine's hands c

, Nathaniel Wolfe will be serving as pro

le

. The sound of glass tapping wo

move. Couldn'

y she had misheard. Nathaniel Wolfe?

onstrated exceptional foresight and agility in recent projects. I have no doubt

izing her heels were echoing too

she said, tig

Derek stood. He buttoned his ja

I'd like to speak to N

rned to him, her

r shown interest in the power plays. Their relationship

performance by 37% and successfully mitigated a lawsuit that could have cost us

rd member

ince when do we hand over our legacy to

unmistakable drawl of Mrs. Heathrow, board member sinc

athan may be competent, even brilliant, but he isn't blood.

forward, calm

To ensure Thorne International not only survives the next decade, but leads it. You'll still have the power to

ent answer. Meas

's bloo

your back. But where were you during the supply chain crash of 2020? The Beijing fallout? Or when I stayed up

at her, patien

ftly. "You've done excellent work. But maybe it's time we evolved

another step, fists

a what it means

exactly why I ca

now. Murmured agree

slammed hi

h," he

m froze

ou've had every opportunity to prove yourself and you've done well. But t

ace flush, heat cr

ened but the

aking her head. A small gesture. Ba

on't give

he fire was still burning,

tu

d out of

br

wai