Daniel slowly reached into his jacket and pulled out his phone, his eyes scanning the screen.

His face went pale.

Daniel stared at the screen, his thumb hovering over the glass.

Clara slid her phone out of her leather clutch, her manicured nails tapping against the screen.

“What is it, Daniel?” she asked, her voice losing its smooth edge.

He didn’t answer her right away.

The blue light from his screen cast a cold shadow across his cheekbones.

“A notification from the executive committee,” he muttered.

“The board?” Clara stepped closer to him, her silk skirt rustling in the quiet studio.

“No,” Daniel said, his voice tightening. “The bank.”

He looked up at me, his eyes narrowing into thin slits.

“You think you’re ahead of me, Emily,” he said.

He tapped his screen twice, his face hardening into the familiar mask of the corporate raider.

“I just authorized a complete administrative freeze on all joint accounts and secondary lines of credit,” he said.

He slipped the phone back into his pocket and crossed his arms.

“As of ten seconds ago, your cards are useless.”