Chapter 4 - The Man in the Trench Coat
The stranger marched straight through the swirling downdraft, his trench coat billowing behind him like the cape of an avenging angel. Julian’s head snapped around, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the intruder. The pilot in the cockpit raised his hands from the cyclic controls, hesitant as the stranger flashed a gold badge and a federal warrant directly through the glass partition.
"Julian Vance! Step away from the aircraft," the man shouted, his voice cutting cleanly through the ambient roar of the idling turbines. He dropped the manila folder onto the hood of a nearby maintenance cart and flipped it open. "Federal Securities and Exchange Commission. You're being detained for corporate wire fraud and the illegal acquisition of eighty-two million dollars in trust funds."
Julian’s expression didn't panic; instead, it curdled into a mask of pure contempt. He slowly turned his back on the federal agent and looked directly at Elena, a faint, mocking smile touching the corners of his lips.
"You think this changes anything?" Julian murmured, stepping close enough that only she could hear the venom in his breath. "If I go down, the foundation collapses. Your mother goes to prison for securities fraud alongside me, and your family name is dragged through the mud forever."
Elena felt the ground drop out from beneath her feet once more. The federal agent reached out, clamping a heavy steel cuff around Julian’s right wrist. The metallic click echoed sharply against the whirring wind of the helicopter blades. Julian offered no resistance, allowing himself to be led toward the stairwell with an unsettling, arrogant calm that made Elena’s blood run cold.
As they passed her, Julian leaned in one last time, whispering a final, chilling warning into her ear.
May you like
"Check the vault in your father's study before midnight, Elena," Julian whispered softly, his eyes glinting with malicious triumph. "You'll find out who really stole the money."
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