Chapter 9
Julian stared at the slick attorney for a long moment, the audacity of the offer hanging thick in the stale air of the hallway. Richard Vance stood with his hands folded neatly over his briefcase, wearing the serene confidence of a man who believed every person had a price, and every moral stance could be bought if the figures were high enough.
"Let me make sure I understand you," Julian said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "You want me to lie under oath, perjure myself in a court of law, and publicly declare that a woman who committed a fatal hit-and-run is an innocent victim of my own emotional breakdown."
"I call it a mutually beneficial resolution," Richard corrected smoothly, adjusting his silk tie. "Think about your career, Mr. Hayes. Your architectural firm relies heavily on public trust and high-profile municipal contracts. Right now, your name is mud in half the corporate offices in this city. If this goes to trial, your life will be dragged through the dirt for months. A simple retraction puts an end to all of it."
Julian didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t slam the door. Instead, a cold, sharp clarity washed over him. He opened the front door wider, gesturing out toward the hallway with an open palm.
"Get out," Julian said quietly.
Richard’s confident smile faltered for a fraction of a second. "Mr. Hayes, you’re not thinking clearly about the long-term consequences—"
"I said, get out of my apartment," Julian interrupted, his eyes locking onto the attorney’s with a intensity that made the two private investigators step forward defensively. "And tell Elena that her little errand boy wasted his time. I won't be silenced. Not by her money, not by your threats, and certainly not by a corrupt legal strategy."
Richard glared at him, his professional mask slipping to reveal a flash of genuine hostility. "You're making a terrible mistake, Julian. You have no idea who you're dealing with."
"No," Julian replied as he slammed the heavy wooden door squarely in the lawyer's face, throwing the deadbolt home. "I think for the first time in my life, I finally do."
May you like
He walked back into the living room, his hands steady. He picked up his phone, ignored the endless stream of notifications, and dialed a direct number. It rang twice before Arthur answered on the other end.
"Arthur? It’s Julian. They sent a lawyer to buy me off. The trial is going to happen, and I’m ready to testify to everything I know."
