Chapter 5 - The Uninvited Guest
Vance did not look like a man who had just received a distressed call from his sister; he looked like a general arriving to survey a conquered battlefield. Dressed in an expensive charcoal-gray suit that lacked a tie, his collar unbuttoned to reveal a thick gold chain, he radiated an aggressive, predatory energy. His red hair, a shade brighter and harsher than Elena’s, was slicked back sharply from his forehead.
"Julian," Vance said, his voice dripping with false cordiality as he stepped uninvited into the study. "I hear there was a bit of domestic turbulence in your little showcase home today. Elena tells me you laid hands on her."
Julian didn't flinch. He stood tall, his posture rigid, blocking the children from Vance’s line of sight. "Elena provoked a situation that endangered my children, Vance. You know nothing about what happened."
"I know that my sister called me in tears, claiming you struck her like a common thug," Vance replied, stepping closer, his boots clicking heavily against the Persian rug. He smirked, though his eyes remained as cold as winter stone. "And I know that whatever happens inside these walls affects the stock price of our joint ventures. You wouldn't want a public scandal now, would you, Julian? Not with the upcoming merger vote next month."
Leo peeked out from behind Julian’s black suit jacket, his face hardening with absolute disgust. "Get out of our house," Leo said, his voice ringing clearly across the room. "You have no right to come in here and threaten our father."
Vance paused, his gaze shifting past Julian to look at the young boy. A cruel, thin smile spread across his lips. "Well, look at the little watchdog. Barking before he even has teeth. You know, Julian, you really should teach these brats some manners. They aren't even yours by blood, yet you protect them like they're royalty. Everyone in the inner circle knows the truth about where you found them."
The air in the room instantly turned to ice. Julian felt a violent surge of adrenaline rush through his veins, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles turned white. Clara let out a soft, frightened gasp from the sofa, pulling her knees up to her chest.
"Say one more word about them, Vance, and I promise you won't walk out of this estate under your own power," Julian whispered, every syllable laced with a lethal, controlled fury.
Vance laughed, an abrasive sound that grated against the heavy silence of the study. He reached into his suit jacket, pulled out a folded legal document, and tossed it carelessly onto the mahogany desk. It slid across the wood and came to a stop right beside the gift box.
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"You won't have to worry about my words for much longer," Vance said, turning on his heel toward the door. "Sign those custody transfer papers by midnight, or I release the adoption records to the press—showing the whole world that your precious children were abandoned by a criminal ring you helped dismantle years ago."
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