Chapter 5 - The Downward Spiral Begins
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The next morning, Trevor walked into the gleaming glass-and-steel lobby of his prestigious law firm. He was running on exactly zero hours of sleep. Every time he had closed his eyes, he saw the hollow, dead stare of Roman Mercer.
He swiped his keycard at the security turnstile.
A red light flashed. Access Denied.
Trevor frowned, swiping it again. It beeped angrily, glowing red.
“Excuse me, John,” Trevor called out to the security guard at the front desk. “My card is malfunctioning. Can you buzz me through?”
John, a man who usually greeted Trevor with a bright smile, looked down at his monitor. His expression instantly hardened.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Vance. Your access has been revoked.”
“Revoked?” Trevor scoffed, a spike of anxiety piercing his chest. “That’s impossible. I’m a junior partner. Check the system again.”
“I don't need to check the system,” a stern voice echoed behind him.
Trevor turned to see Richard Sterling, the senior managing partner of the firm, walking toward him. Sterling looked furious, his face a tight mask of professional outrage.
“Richard, what’s going on?” Trevor asked, forcing a nervous chuckle. “Security system glitch?”
“You are fired, Trevor,” Sterling stated coldly, right in the middle of the crowded lobby.
Trevor’s heart stopped. “What? Fired? You can't fire me! I just brought in the Harrison account! I’ve billed more hours this quarter than—”
“The Harrison account just pulled all their retainers,” Sterling interrupted viciously. “In fact, three of our largest corporate clients called me at 6:00 AM this morning. They explicitly stated that they were dissolving their relationships with this firm unless you were immediately terminated and blacklisted.”
Trevor’s knees felt weak. “Who... who called?”
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“I don't know what kind of mess you stepped in, Vance,” Sterling said, leaning closer, lowering his voice into a disgusted whisper. “But when a holding company owned by the Mercer Syndicate threatens to bankrupt my firm over one junior partner, I cut the dead weight. Clear your desk. You have ten minutes before security physically throws you out.”
Trevor stared at him, the blood rushing in his ears. Roman hadn't sent thugs to break his legs. He had just severed Trevor’s entire livelihood with a single phone call.
