My Ruthless Father Fired Me, But He Forgot Who Built His Entire Empire

The Shattered Dynasty

The dining room of the Vance manor was designed to project absolute power. Beneath a massive crystal chandelier that cast sharp, glittering shadows across the mahogany table, the family had gathered for what was supposed to be a celebratory dinner. Instead, it had descended into a battlefield. Arthur Vance, the sharp-featured patriarch of Vance Enterprises, stood at the head of the table, his slate-grey suit pristine, though his face was twisted in an ugly, venomous rage.

He pointed a trembling, furious finger at his eldest daughter, Natalie. "Get out of here!" Arthur roared, his voice shaking the heavy crystal glasses on the table. "And resign as CEO. You are finished in this family, and you are finished at Vance Enterprises."

Beside him, his second wife, Victoria, and Natalie's younger sister, Claire, watched in stunned silence. Victoria let out a soft gasp, her hands fluttering to her collarbone, while Claire looked down, unable to meet her sister's eyes. The silence that followed Arthur’s outburst was suffocating. Moments before, in a fit of uncontrollable anger, Arthur had struck Natalie—a desperate act of a man losing his grip on his empire.

Natalie stood perfectly still. Slowly, she raised her hand and touched the small, bleeding cut on her lower lip. She looked at the crimson stain on her fingertip, and then, slowly, she looked up at her father. Instead of tears, a cold, mocking smile spread across her face.

"Dad... did you forget?" Natalie asked, her voice dangerously calm.

She stepped closer to him, pulling her phone from her pocket. Without waiting for his response, she tapped the screen and spoke into the receiver. "Evelyn, activate the board's emergency protocol."

Victoria gasped loudly, finally finding her voice. "Natalie, what are you doing?" she screamed. But Natalie didn't bother to answer. She turned on her heel, her white silk blouse catching the light, and walked out through the grand glass doors, leaving the family in a state of absolute terror.