Chapter 6: The True King of the Harbor**
Julian froze. “That’s impossible. The Harbor Terminal is held by Vanguard Maritime Trust. They’ve been dormant for twenty years.”
Arthur reached into the inner pocket of his stained cardigan, pulling out a sealed waterproof leather pouch. He tossed it onto the wet hood of Julian’s SUV with a heavy thud.
“I founded Vanguard in 1994, Julian,” Arthur said softly. “When Elena’s mother passed away, I stepped down and went back to driving trucks because the boardroom felt like a tomb without her. But I never sold my shares. I own seventy-four percent of the controlling voting rights.”
Elena stared at her father in sheer disbelief. Her entire life, she thought her father was merely a stubborn, blue-collar mechanic who refused to move past his modest trucking garage. She had no idea that the modest company she grew up around was only the surface of an industrial empire Arthur built from scratch and walked away from out of grief.
Julian’s bodyguard quickly grabbed the pouch, inspected the embossed legal documents inside, and turned pale. He leaned over and whispered frantically into Julian’s ear.
May you like
Julian snatched the papers himself, his eyes scanning the signatures. The arrogance melted from his face, replaced by a sickening realization. If Vanguard pulled out of the harbor deal, Julian’s entire firm would collapse by midnight, triggering instant federal default.
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