Chapter 10: Shadows in the Hallway
The heavy silence that followed Julian’s ultimatum was shattered by the distant, muffled sound of a heavy oak door being forced open somewhere down the eastern wing of the mansion. The search had begun. Julian stood calmly in the center of the sunlit living room, checking a sleek gold wristwatch as if he were simply waiting for a delayed flight, entirely unconcerned by the invasion of privacy playing out around him.
Elena pressed her back against the velvet armchair, her breathing shallow and rapid. The terror in her eyes was absolute, stripped of all social pretenses. She looked at Maya, her lips moving silently before she managed to force out a coherent thought. "Maya... the safe in your father’s study. Is that where he would keep it?"
Maya shook her head quickly, her eyes darting toward the hallway where Julian’s men were currently tearing through their private lives. "No, Mom. Dad wouldn't use the study safe. That’s the first place federal investigators will look, and he knew it. It has to be somewhere less obvious."
Julian lowered his wrist, his gaze shifting back to Maya with an expression of cold amusement. "Tick-tock, young lady. My associates are thorough. They dismantle walls just as easily as your father built them. Every minute you waste protecting a man who treated you like a corporate liability brings you closer to losing everything."
"He’s still my father," Maya said through clenched teeth, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and stubborn defiance. "And whatever he did, I’m not going to hand you the weapon you need to finish destroying us."
Julian chuckled softly, stepping closer until he invaded Maya’s personal space. The sheer intimidation he projected was suffocating, but Maya forced herself not to step back, holding his icy gaze with all the courage she could muster. "You overestimate your father’s loyalty to you, Maya. If Richard were standing here right now, he’d trade both of you to save his own empire without a second thought. Family was never his priority; leverage was."
Elena flinched as if she had been physically struck, but she didn't refute the claim. Deep down, beneath decades of denial, she knew Julian was right. That realization was more devastating than the men searching their home.
Before Julian could press further, a sharp shout echoed from the hallway, followed by the heavy thud of footsteps rushing back toward the living room. One of Julian’s associates appeared in the doorway, his face expressionless but his movements urgent. He whispered something quickly into Julian’s ear.
May you like
Julian’s eyebrows arched in mild surprise. His cold eyes flicked back to Maya, a dangerous, calculating smirk playing on his lips. "Well, it appears your father wasn't quite as clever as he thought. My man found the wall panel in the master dressing room. The drive is secured."
Maya’s heart stopped. Panic surged through her veins, hot and blinding. The physical backup—the ultimate proof—was in their hands.
