Chapter 6: The Uninvited Storm**
The following afternoon, the peace of the Vance estate was shattered by the roar of news vans parking along the perimeter gate. Cameras flashed like strobe lights through the iron bars as reporters shouted questions toward the security guards.
Julian stood by the parlor window, watching the circus unfold. His personal smartphone buzzed relentlessly. On the screen was a breaking news notification from *Financial Herald*: **"SECURITY CRISIS AT VANCE MANOR: IS THE TYCOON UNFIT TO GUARD CITY DATA?"**
Elena rushed into the room, looking pale. "Mr. Vance, there are paparazzi trying to climb the side hedges. Lily was playing near the koi pond and they started taking pictures over the wall."
Julian’s jaw clenched with terrifying stillness. "Where is she now?"
"In her playroom. I locked the garden doors."
Julian walked briskly down the hall to the security monitoring room. Sitting at the console was Marcus, reinstated that morning under Julian’s direct order to oversee internal communications.
"Marcus," Julian said, his voice flat with suppressed fury. "How did the media get wind of what happened two nights ago?"
Marcus pulled up a server traffic log. "The leak didn't come from your home network, sir. It came from the corporate PR division downtown. Someone in Sterling’s office leaked an internal incident report, framing the situation as an uncontrolled breach caused by your erratic management."
Julian stared at the monitor. Jonathan Sterling’s betrayal was not surprising, but targeting the estate while Lily was inside crossed an unforgivable boundary.
"Julian," Marcus turned in his chair, looking at his employer with earnest loyalty. "They want you to come out and lose your temper on camera. If you threaten the press, they win the narrative."
Julian took a slow breath, remembering the small hands that had held Barnaby’s torn fabric steady the day before.
May you like
"I won't threaten them," Julian said quietly. "I will invite them in."
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