“I’m not letting you go, Dad.”

“This is treason!” Richard yelled, his chest heaving.

He began to thrash violently, twisting his shoulders with sudden, desperate strength.

For an older man, his panic gave him a terrifying power.

With a sudden jerk, he managed to wrench his right arm free from Nathan’s grasp.

Richard did not run for the door.

Instead, he lunged straight at me.

His fingers clawed at the air, aiming directly for the parchment in my hands.

“Give it to me!” he shrieked, his face contorted in rage.

I stepped backward, my heel catching on the leg of a heavy leather chair.

I stumbled, losing my balance for a split second.

The envelope slipped in my grip, the rough paper sliding against my palms.

Richard’s hand grazed the edge of the envelope, his fingers clamping down on the corner.

He meant to tear it to pieces right here on the boardroom floor.

“No!” I cried out, trying to pull the document away from his reach.

Nathan reacted instantly.

He threw his weight forward, wrapping his arms around his father’s torso from behind.