Did you miss me, father?

Roman Sterling's entire body went rigid as the voice sliced through the air. The blood drained from his face, and a heavy silence settled over the boardroom, thick and suffocating. His eyes widened in shock and rage, and his head turned slowly, almost mechanically, toward the source of the voice.

There, standing in the doorway, was the figure he had been dreading for years—Sam Sterling, his estranged son. Sam's presence was an affront, a ghost from the past resurrected to stir up chaos in a world Roman had fought so hard to protect. The shock of seeing Sam in the flesh was like a punch to the gut, and Roman's jaw clenched as a wave of conflicting emotions crashed over him.

The shareholders, unaware of the history between the two, were quick to react. A murmur of disapproval rippled through the room, and one particularly vocal shareholder shot up from his seat, pointing an accusatory finger at Sam.