Chapter 6 - The Confession of Crows
The red wax seal on Harrison’s envelope seemed to pulse under the harsh ballroom lights, mocking the wreckage of Julian’s life. Julian’s fingers hovered over the heavy parchment, the ink pen resting beside it like a executioner's blade. He looked up at Harrison, the last remnants of his pride finally dissolving into ash.
"Was there ever a chance?" Julian whispered, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "Did he ever intend to leave me anything?"
Harrison sighed, a sound laden with decades of exhausted patience.
"He loved you, Julian. That was his weakness," Harrison replied softly, leaning down so only Julian could hear. "He gave you every opportunity to prove yourself, to build something with your own hands instead of manipulating others for a shortcut. But you chose Victoria’s games. You chose the illusion over reality."
Victoria slammed her fist onto the adjacent table, rattling the silverware.
"You can't do this!" Victoria shrieked, losing all remaining shreds of dignity. "That amendment isn't legally binding! It was drafted under duress! I spent five years grooming this family for this exact merger, and I won't let a dead man's whims destroy our empire!"
"Your empire was built on sand, Victoria," Martha interjected calmly, stepping forward with her daughter safely behind her. "And everyone in this room has the recording of you orchestrating the whole thing."
Victoria spun around, her eyes blazing with murderous intent.
"You keep your mouth shut, you pathetic nobody! You think a little cell phone video is going to destroy me? I have judges in my pocket, politicians on my payroll, and enough dirt on every person in this room to ruin a hundred families!"
A collective murmur of unease rippled through the remaining guests. Several influential executives hastily turned away, realizing that Victoria was slipping past mere desperation into dangerous, erratic instability.
Clara slowly stood up, ignoring the torn fabric of her gold dress trailing behind her like a tattered flag of surrender. She looked at Victoria—the woman who had promised her wealth, safety, and a glamorous life, only to throw her to the wolves the moment things went wrong.
"She's lying, Mr. Vance," Clara spoke up, her voice surprisingly steady now that the worst had already happened. "Victoria didn't just plan the pillow scheme. She had a second set of falsified medical records hidden in her safety deposit box at the Swiss-American Bank downtown. I saw her sign the doctor's name herself."
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Victoria’s face went completely blank. Her breath hitched, and for a terrifying second, she looked as though she might lunge across the table and physically strangle Clara right there in front of God and the elite of New York.
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