Chapter 4: The 40th Floor**
The elevator ride was swift and silent. Leo stared at his reflection in the mirrored walls, his small hand still firmly held in his father's grip.
“Are you angry at Mom?” Leo asked softly, watching the digital floor numbers climb rapidly: 35... 38... 40.
Damian looked down at his son, his heart aching with an unbearable mixture of regret and love. “No, Leo. I was angry at myself. I thought building all of this would make me someone she could be proud of. But I lost the only thing that actually mattered.”
The elevator doors chimed and slid open onto the top floor.
A panoramic view of the skyline framed a thirty-seat mahogany boardroom. Every executive, investor, and legal advisor turned toward the door. Julianne, who had taken the express elevator alongside her legal team, was already standing near the head of the table, whispering frantically to Chairman Harris.
When Damian walked in holding an eight-year-old boy by the hand, the room erupted into murmurs.
“Damian,” Chairman Harris began, adjusting his glasses. “We were just reviewing the emergency succession protocol. Julianne mentioned a security breach downstairs—”
“There is no breach,” Damian interrupted, walking directly to the head of the table. He pulled out the master executive chair and lifted Leo onto the plush leather seat.
Leo sat up straight, his feet dangling several inches above the plush carpet, but his chin was raised with unwavering dignity.
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“Gentlemen,” Damian said, resting his hands on the back of Leo’s chair. “Let me introduce the majority beneficiary of Vance Holdings.”
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