Victoria: She's your assistant! You sent her here with the contract binder!
Catherine: She is Clara Vance! The daughter of Arthur Vance, the founder of Vance Enterprises!
Victoria: What...? Arthur Vance's daughter?!
Richard: Catherine, what are you talking about? Arthur Vance died three years ago!
Catherine: And he left seventy percent of the voting shares of Vance Holding Group to his only daughter, Clara! The holding group that bought out fifty-one percent of Sterling Global last month!
Victoria stared at Clara, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Her hands dropped to her sides, her arrogant posture instantly collapsing.
Victoria: No... no, that's impossible! She wears simple clothes! She drives a regular car!
Clara: My father taught me that true power doesn't need to bark, Victoria. Only weak people feel the need to kick those they think are beneath them.
Catherine: Clara, please! Let me explain! Victoria didn't know who you were!
Clara: Is that supposed to make it better, Catherine? That it's okay to shove a five-year-old girl and cut her mother's face as long as they're poor?!
Catherine: No! Of course not! Victoria, apologize to her right now! Get on your knees and apologize!
Victoria: Mother! You want me to get on my knees in front of her?!
Catherine: Do it right now if you want to keep a single roof over your head! She just initiated executive revocation!
Richard Sterling, who had remained arrogant throughout the entire ordeal, suddenly stood up from his chair. His hand trembled violently as he reached for his crystal wine glass, but his grip failed. The glass slipped from his fingers and crashed onto the table, shattering into a hundred sharp pieces, spilling dark red wine across the white cloth[cite: 1].
Richard: Executive revocation...? Clara, you can't revoke Catherine's leadership position! The board agreement hasn't been finalized!
Clara: The board agreement contained a character and ethics clause, Richard. The moment I authenticated the voice command on my executive app, Catherine was removed as Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Global.
Catherine: Clara, please! I worked thirty years to build this company! You can't let my daughter-in-law's stupidity destroy everything I built!
Clara: You stood by and allowed your family to build a culture of cruelty, Catherine. You let Victoria run around this city treating service workers and staff like garbage, and you enabled it because you thought your money made you untouchable.
Catherine: I will cut Victoria off completely! I will strip her of her allowance, her car, her trust fund access—everything! Just please reinstate my position!
Victoria: Mother! You can't cut me off! I'm married to your son!
Catherine: Shut up, Victoria! Just shut your mouth! You have ruined us!
Maya looked up at the shattered glass on the table, clutching Clara's hand tightly. Clara leaned down and picked up her small handbag from the chair.
Clara: My daughter and I are leaving now. Do not follow us.
Catherine: Clara! Wait! Please!
Clara: You have until eight o'clock tomorrow morning to clear your belongings out of the executive suite at headquarters, Catherine. Effective immediately, all Sterling family credit accounts linked to the corporate entity are frozen.