“I’ve looked at the engineering schematics and the financial projections.”

“This isn’t a fantasy.”

“It is the most practical, brilliant system I have ever seen.”

He turned back to our mother, his face inches from hers.

“She built this while you were telling everyone at the country club that she was a disappointment,” he said.

My throat felt tight, and a strange warmth spread through my chest.

I reached out and touched the edge of the control console to steady my hands.

My mother’s lips compressed into a thin, bloodless line.

“You are making a very foolish mistake,” she said, her voice dropping to a harsh whisper.

“You have no idea how difficult the world is without our name behind you.”

“Then I’ll find out,” Derek said.

“I am resigning from my position at Mitchell Holdings tomorrow morning.”

“And I will not be accepting the trust distribution next month.”

He reached into his pocket, pulled out his silver-plated cardholder, and laid it on the equipment table.

The metal clicked softly against the steel surface.

“I would rather start from nothing than let you buy my silence for another day,” Derek said.