Chapter 4 - A Father’s Wrath
Marcus Vance did not look at Julian. Instead, his cold, experienced eyes swept over the documents on the clipboard before fixing on his daughter. The older man’s jaw was locked tight, every muscle in his face tense with suppressed rage. The Vance family name had stood for integrity in shipping and logistics for four decades, and the thought of being publicly swindled by a low-level operator made his blood boil.
"Dad," Elena breathed, her voice cracking as tears finally spilled over her lashes. "I didn't know. I swear to you, I had no idea he was using our capital for this."
"I know you didn't, sweetheart," Marcus said gently, placing a heavy, reassuring hand on her shoulder before turning his icy glare toward Julian. "Mr. Vance," Julian started, his voice pitching upward in desperation. "Sir, please. This is a misunderstanding. We can salvage the merger—"
"Shut your mouth, Julian," Marcus growled, the command so absolute that Julian physically recoiled. Marcus turned his attention to Claire, his expression shifting from anger to a grudging professional respect. "You’re Claire Miller. Julian’s legal counsel and his wife."
"Ex-wife, effectively as of tonight, Mr. Vance," Claire corrected politely. "And I apologize for the public nature of this intervention, but it was the only way to ensure he didn't liquidate the remaining domestic accounts before the freeze order processed."
"You did what you had to do," Marcus nodded slowly. "A thief like this doesn't deserve a quiet exit. He deserves a public reckoning."
"Dad, what about the merger?" Elena asked, wiping a tear from her cheek. "Our stock opens in London in eight hours."
"There is no merger," Marcus said firmly. "The Vance group is pulling out immediately. Furthermore, we will be joining the civil suit as primary co-plaintiffs to recover every single dollar he siphoned from our joint ventures."
Julian clutched his head in his hands, his dark blue suit suddenly feeling like a straightjacket. "You're destroying me. Both of you. You're ruining my entire life over a corporate dispute!"
"It’s not a dispute, Julian," Claire said, turning toward the grand exit. "It’s justice."
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As Claire walked away, her beige dress swaying with calm authority, her phone buzzed in her hand with an urgent new message from the forensic team.
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