Chapter 17 - Whispers of the Past
While Emily soared to new heights, the remnants of the Carter dynasty were reduced to haunting echoes.
Nathan sat at his cluttered desk in the dreary basement annex of Carter Consulting, staring blankly at a stack of overdue utility bills.
His direct manager walked by, tossing another stack of mundane zoning forms onto his pile with an audible sneer.
"Don't fall asleep on those, Carter. The municipal board expects compliance metrics by four o'clock, and we all know your track record with deadlines."
Nathan forced his jaw to lock, swallowing the burning humiliation that threatened to choke him.
He couldn't talk back, couldn't threaten legal action, and couldn't hide behind his mother's social standing anymore.
Down here, he was nobody—an overworked, underpaid administrative clerk drowning in debt and corporate obscurity.
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Across the city, Eleanor remained shut inside her dark bedroom, refusing visitors, entirely consumed by the bitter reality that her obsession with old-money status had completely destroyed her son's future.
They had tried to break Emily by treating her like an insignificant hobbyist, but the universe had balanced the scales with terrifying accuracy.
