Chapter 4 - The Table Turn
For the next three days, I focused entirely on Lyra. I bought her a whole new wardrobe of beautiful, warm clothes, the best toys she could ever dream of, and hired a private tutor to help her catch up on her schoolwork in the comfort of our luxury suite. I also hired a top-tier family attorney, Eleanor Sterling, to review my custody agreement with Saskia.
"Your ex-wife has been living high on your alimony and the house," Eleanor told me over a lunch served in our suite. "But she has also been neglectful. I've already uncovered records showing she left Lyra with uncertified sitters while she went on vacations with her new partner. With your current financial standing and a stable, high-end living environment, we can easily secure sole physical custody."
"Do it," I said without hesitation. "Spare no expense."
On Thursday morning, I put on a bespoke, tailored charcoal suit that made me look like a different man. I looked at myself in the mirror. The hollow, exhausted look in my eyes was gone, replaced by a razor-sharp focus.
I arrived at the headquarters of Vance Global Logistics—a towering skyscraper of steel and glass in the heart of the financial district. The security guards bowed respectfully as I bypassed the check-in desk and took the private elevator straight to the penthouse boardroom.
When the doors slid open, the room was already filled with the board members, along with several external contractors who had been invited to pitch their services.
As I walked into the room, my eyes landed on two familiar faces sitting at the far end of the long mahogany table.
My father, Thaddius Pendelton, and my younger brother, Declan.
They were dressed in their best suits, looking smug and confident, holding a thick stack of proposal folders. They didn't see me clearly at first as I walked in behind Richard Vance.
"Ah, Richard," the CEO of Apex Medical, who was also attending, called out. "We were just about to begin. Is the new majority shareholder joining us today? We are eager to finalize the shipping routes."
"Yes," Richard said, stepping aside and gesturing to me. "Allow me to introduce the new majority owner and Chairman of the Board of Vance Global Logistics: Mr. Arthur Pendelton."
Silence fell over the room like a physical blow.
My father’s jaw dropped so low I thought it might detach. Declan’s smug smile instantly vanished, his face turning a ghostly shade of white.
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"Arthur?!" Thaddius gasped, half-rising from his chair. "What is the meaning of this? This is a joke. He’s a bankrupt vagrant! He was sleeping in my basement three days ago!"
The board members gasped, murmuring in confusion. Richard Vance stepped forward, his eyes flashing with ice. "Mr. Pendelton, you will keep your voice down. Mr. Arthur Pendelton holds the controlling interest of this entire conglomerate. If you disrespect the Chairman again, you will be escorted from the building by security."
