Chapter 7
The moon hung high and silver over the estate gardens as Koralie walked purposefully toward the glass-walled pool pavilion at the back of the property. Inside, glowing under soft recessed lighting, Julian sat alone at a small teak table, scrolling through documents on his laptop with a furrowed brow. Dressed in a crisp white shirt with his navy blazer draped over the back of his chair, he looked every bit the corporate attorney he was—analytical, composed, and desperate to avoid unnecessary friction.
Koralie slid the glass door open, the faint hiss breaking the quiet of the pavilion. Julian looked up, blinking in surprise as he saw her standing in the doorway, her white dress catching the pool's azure reflections.
"Koralie? I thought you went up to bed hours ago," Julian said, standing up and walking toward her with a conciliatory smile. "Your dad told me things got a little tense in the dining room. Look, I know Eleanor can be overbearing, but let's not rock the boat tonight. It's the eve of our wedding. Let's just get through tomorrow smoothly, okay?"
Koralie stopped just feet away from him, her gaze piercing and unblinking. "You knew, didn't you, Julian? You knew about the seating chart changes before we even walked into the house."
Julian’s smile faltered, his eyes dropping away from hers for a fraction of a second—a micro-expression of guilt that confirmed everything. "It’s not a big deal, Koralie. It’s just seating. People move around at these events all the time. Why make a battlefield out of a dinner table?"
"It’s not just seating, Julian!" Koralie’s voice remained controlled, but the intensity behind it made him flinch. "They removed my mother’s place card and replaced it with Marcus Vance—the man who has been trying to destroy my mother’s community foundation for five years. And that’s just the beginning. Eleanor has a press release queued up for tomorrow afternoon announcing that I’ve voluntarily surrendered my board seat to her."
Julian stared at her, genuinely shocked. He ran a hand through his dark hair, looking bewildered. "A press release? That... that's impossible. Your father wouldn't allow that. It violates the prenuptial agreement provisions regarding the foundation."
"My father doesn't even know about the press release, or if he does, he’s too cowardly to stop her," Koralie said, pulling the flash drive from her pocket and holding it up between them. "I have the digital backup of her entire master planning folder right here. Proof of asset manipulation, forged board signatures, and planned exclusions."
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Julian looked at the small black drive, then back at Koralie, the lawyer in him instantly recognizing the gravity of the evidence. The easy, appeasing demeanor vanished, replaced by a cold professional calculation. "If this is real... your father is legally exposed, and Eleanor has committed corporate fraud."
"And if we marry tomorrow without addressing this, I become legally complicit in her takeover," Koralie said firmly. "So tell me, Julian—are you marrying me, or are you marrying into Eleanor’s corporate empire?"
