Daniel sat in the dimly lit office, the sharp scent of wood polish and leather filling the air. He sat across from his lawyer, feeling the tension in the room grow thicker with each passing second.

His fingers were pressed together, the knuckles white from the pressure, and he couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling in his stomach. He wasn’t sure if it was the weight of everything he’d lost or the uncertainty of what was to come, but the feeling lingered.

His lawyer, a stoic man who had seen it all, spoke with a quiet finality. “You’ve lost everything, Daniel. The investments, the company, the house, and most painfully, your...