Chapter 10
While Julian sought reconciliation at the marina, the Vance estate stood silent and imposing under the gathering dusk. Thomas walked the grand corridors, checking the locks on the heavy glass doors and ensuring the alarm systems were fully engaged. The mansion felt different tonight—not merely empty, but haunted by the ghosts of a patriarch’s tyranny and a son’s awakening.
In the vast dining room, the polished mahogany table gleamed under the soft chandelier light. Thomas stopped near the spot where Clara had sat the night before. He remembered the sharp crack of Julian’s voice, the terror in Elena’s eyes, and the old woman’s quiet, devastating intervention. For decades, Thomas had watched families shatter behind closed doors, wealthy dynasties built on sand, eroding from the inside out while projecting an image of unbreakable strength to the outside world.
A sharp knock at the heavy front oak door echoed through the cavernous foyer. Thomas frowned, checking his pocket watch. It was nearly eight o’clock. Visitors were rare at the best of times, and uninvited guests were practically unheard of.
He walked briskly to the foyer, his footsteps echoing against the marble floors. Unlocking the heavy deadbolt, he pulled the door open to reveal a tall, imposing man in a tailored charcoal overcoat. It was Arthur Sterling, Julian’s primary rival in the upcoming corporate merger, a man whose polished charm masked a ruthless ambition.
“Good evening, Thomas,” Sterling said smoothly, stepping uninvited across the threshold before the butler could block his path. “I’m here to see Julian. I trust he’s in his study?”
“Mr. Vance is currently out, Mr. Sterling,” Thomas replied stiffly, standing his ground. “May I take a message, or schedule an appointment for tomorrow morning at the office?”
Sterling smiled, a thin, predatory curve of the lips that didn't reach his cold eyes. He glanced around the grand foyer, his gaze lingering on the sweeping marble staircase where Julian had fallen the night before.
“Out? At this hour? That’s most unusual for our dear Julian,” Sterling murmured, stepping closer to the base of the stairs. “Word on the street is that the Vance empire is experiencing a few internal fractures. Rumor has it his wife packed her bags and walked out in the middle of the night.”
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“Your sources are remarkably well-informed for an outsider, sir,” Thomas said, his voice dropping into a chilly, formal register. “However, personal matters do not concern the corporate merger.”
“Everything is business, Thomas,” Sterling laughed softly, turning his cold gaze back to the butler. “And a man whose personal foundation is crumbling rarely makes sound decisions in the boardroom. Tell Julian that if he wishes to salvage the merger, he needs to bring his A-game tomorrow. Otherwise, I’ll be buying the Vance assets for pennies on the dollar.”
