Chapter 7: The Threat Emerges
The peace inside the penthouse was broken on a brisk Tuesday afternoon. Clara had taken Leo to a quiet park three blocks away from the building, enjoying the crisp autumn air while Julian attended a brief court hearing regarding the final liquidation of Marcus’s seized assets.
As Clara pushed the stroller along a paved pathway lined with maple trees, a man stepped out from behind a wooden pergola, blocking her path. He wore a dark raincoat, his collar pulled up against the breeze.
"You look well, Clara," Marcus said, his voice flat and devoid of warmth.
Clara stopped immediately, her hands tightening on the stroller handle. Recognition flashed in her eyes, followed by a surge of maternal instinct that made her step protective in front of Leo.
"Marcus," she said, keeping her voice cold and steady. "You shouldn't be here. Julian has a restraining order against you."
Marcus chuckled, taking a step closer, his eyes scanning the toddler sitting in the stroller. "Julian thinks he controls everything with his legal papers and his money. But he built his entire life on secrets, didn't he? Does he know about the settlement check your family took from my firm two years ago?"
May you like
Clara’s blood ran cold. "My father was sick, Marcus. You offered that aid under the guise of an executive hardship fund. You tricked him."
"It doesn't matter how it looks on paper, Clara," Marcus leaned in, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "If the media finds out Julian’s family accepted money from the firm while he was under investigation for embezzlement, it will destroy what little credibility he has left. Tell him to drop the civil suit against me, or I will leak the documents tomorrow."
