Chapter 3 - The Enforcer Steps In
Arthur tightened his grip on Julian’s tuxedo shoulder, his face devoid of any warmth as he stared down his younger associate.
“Calm down, Julian,” Arthur said quietly.
“Making a physical spectacle in front of the police commissioner, who happens to be standing by the dessert table, is not going to solve your liquidity problem.”
Julian froze, slowly turning his head to see Captain Vance watching them intently from near the tiered white wedding cake.
“Arthur, you cannot let her do this,” Julian hissed, trying to mask his panic.
“We have known each other for a decade. You know how hard I worked to build this alliance with the Sterling family.”
“You built it on stolen sand, Julian,” Arthur replied coldly, releasing his grip and straightening his own bowtie.
“And now the tide has come in.”
Eleanor backed away from Julian as if he were carrying a contagious disease, her pink evening dress rustling sharply in the dead silence of the room.
“You lied to me about everything,” Eleanor whispered, tears finally welling in her eyes, though she fought hard to keep her composure.
“The penthouse, the investment portfolio, the family estate in the Hamptons—were any of those things actually yours?”
Julian opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out; his throat felt entirely constricted by the sudden, crushing weight of reality.
Clara turned her back on Julian and Eleanor, walking slowly toward Margaret, who stood leaning on her cane with an expression of profound disappointment.
“Margaret,” Clara said respectfully, lowering her voice so only the matriarch could hear.
“I did not come here tonight to ruin a wedding out of jealousy. I came here because your grandson-in-law attempted to transfer the remaining assets of my mother’s medical foundation into an offshore account this afternoon.”
Margaret’s eyes narrowed into sharp, dangerous slits as she looked past Clara toward Julian.
“Is that true, Julian?” Margaret asked, her voice dropping to a terrifyingly calm register.
Julian swallowed hard, taking a desperate step backward until the back of his legs hit the edge of the tiered wedding cake, sending a decorative sugar flower tumbling onto the floor.
“It was just a temporary maneuver,” Julian lied, his voice cracking slightly.
“To secure a liquidity bridge for the upcoming merger.”
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“It was grand larceny,” a deep, unfamiliar voice echoed from the entrance of the ballroom as two men in dark suits flashed metallic badges under the crystal lights.
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