The mahogany door of the executive suite swung open with a sharp, echoing click[cite: 1]. Maya stood in the center of the room, her hand pressed against the edge of the glass desk to keep her fingers from shaking[cite: 1]. Across the polished wood sat Evelyn, holding a pen over a thick pile of legal documents[cite: 1].
Evelyn: You are late, Maya[cite: 1]. We have three minutes before the board members walk through that door[cite: 1].
Maya: I am not signing anything, Evelyn[cite: 1]. Not today[cite: 1].
Evelyn: Sign the waiver[cite: 1]. Your father wanted me to manage the estate until you were mature enough[cite: 1].
Maya: My father wanted me to take over the family business on my twenty-fifth birthday[cite: 1]. That is today[cite: 1].
Evelyn: Do not be naive, child[cite: 1]. Look around you[cite: 1]. You have no experience, no capital, and no support[cite: 1].
Maya: I have the original copy of my mother's will[cite: 1].
Evelyn froze, her manicured fingers stiffening over the paper[cite: 1]. She slowly lowered the pen, her gaze turning cold as ice[cite: 1]. The silence in the penthouse boardroom felt heavy enough to choke on[cite: 1].
Evelyn: What did you just say to me?[cite: 1]
Maya: You thought you burned every copy after the funeral[cite: 1]. You thought no one would ever question where the money went[cite: 1].
Evelyn: That document was voided years ago[cite: 1]. Your father signed full power of attorney over to me before he died[cite: 1].
Maya: He signed a forged paper while he was in the hospital, and I have the medical records to prove it[cite: 1].
Evelyn: You are bluffing[cite: 1]. You always were a terrible liar, just like your mother[cite: 1].
Maya: Test me[cite: 1]. Call the security guards right now and have them pull the video tapes[cite: 1].
Evelyn: I do not need security to deal with a child throwing a temper tantrum over money[cite: 1].
Maya: Then open the red folder sitting right under your elbow[cite: 1].
Evelyn hesitated, her eyes darting toward the thick leather file resting near the desk edge[cite: 1]. She reached out, her breath catching softly in her throat as she flipped the cover open[cite: 1].