Chapter 15 - THE MAN IN THE EMPTY OFFICE Richard sat alone in his former office.
The furniture remained.
The paintings remained.
The city skyline still stretched beyond the glass.
But the nameplate had been removed.
His company no longer belonged to him.
He looked at an old photograph.
A younger Richard stood beside his first building.
He remembered believing that success meant never needing anyone.
Now he understood the price of that belief.
His phone rang.
He almost ignored it.
It was his former attorney.
"There is another development."
Richard frowned.
"What now?"
"The investigation into your financial records has expanded."
Richard closed his eyes.
"How bad?"
A long silence.
"Bad."
He stared at the city.
For years, he had believed losing money would be the worst thing that could happen.
He had been wrong.
The worst thing was losing the ability to pretend he was a good man.
Still, somewhere beneath the anger and humiliation, something unfamiliar began to grow.
Regret.
It wasn't redemption.
May you like
Not yet.
But it was the beginning of understanding.
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