Amara looked at him.
“Can you?”
“Yes.”
“Can you undo what you said?”
Richard hesitated.
“No.”
“Can you erase what your employees said?”
He looked at the phones around the room.
“No.”
“Can you erase the recording?”
Silence.
“No.”
Amara nodded.
“Then there is nothing to fix.”
She opened her tablet.
Richard's breathing became faster.
“What are you doing?”
“Reviewing the account.”
“You can't cancel six billion dollars because of one disagreement.”
Amara looked directly at him.
“This isn't about one disagreement.”
She paused.
“It's about trust.”
Fleet 6
Amara pressed a button.
The tablet chimed.
A professional voice answered through the device.
“Fleet Six protocol ready.”
Richard stepped forward.
“Wait.”
Amara didn't look at him.
“Activate Fleet Six.”
The voice responded.
“Please confirm. Withdrawal of all active and pending contracts associated with this dealership and its affiliates.”
Richard's face turned white.
“Ms. Carter, please.”
Amara finally looked at him.
“Confirm.”
“Confirmation required.”
“Confirmed.”
A second chime sounded.
“Fleet Six activated.”
The showroom fell silent.
Six billion dollars had just been withdrawn.
Not threatened.
Not negotiated.
Withdrawn.
Richard grabbed the edge of the counter.
“You can't do this.”
Amara's voice remained calm.
“I already did.”
The Collapse
Richard's phone began ringing.
Then again.
Then again.
He ignored the first call.
The second.
The third.
Finally, he answered.
“What?”
His expression changed.
“What do you mean the account is frozen?”
He listened.
“No. No, that's impossible.”
Another call came through.
Then another.
The dealership's operations manager entered the showroom, looking terrified.
“Richard, corporate is trying to reach you.”
Richard stared at him.
“What did they say?”
“They said the Carter account has been terminated.”
Richard's knees nearly buckled.
“That account represents—”
“I know.”
“The entire network?”
“Yes.”
Richard looked toward Amara.
For the first time that evening, there was no arrogance in his eyes.
Only fear.
“Please.”
Amara said nothing.
He stepped closer.
“I apologize.”
She studied him.
“Do you apologize because you were wrong?”
Richard swallowed.
“Or because you discovered who I was?”
He had no answer.
The Employees
The two sales associates stood frozen.