Chapter 4 - The Uninvited Guest
Richard adjusted the lapels of his tailored charcoal suit, stepping into the office with the slow, predatory confidence of a man who believed he held all the winning cards. Behind him, two private security guards stood silently in the corridor, their bulky frames blocking the only exit from the fortieth-floor suite.
"You really thought you could just walk out of the family estate with your little girlfriend and your newborn, Julian, and pretend none of this exists?" Richard asked, his voice dripping with condescension as he tossed the manila envelope onto Marcus’s desk. It landed with a heavy slap right beside the scattered ledgers.
Julian stepped in front of Clara, shielding her and the baby with his broad shoulders. His eyes locked onto his uncle with a cold, piercing intensity.
"Get those guards out of my sight, Richard, or I won't just walk out of this building—I'll have you arrested for trespassing and corporate tampering before the clock strikes midnight," Julian warned, his voice low and steady.
Richard chuckled, though the sound lacked genuine amusement. He walked over to the desk and picked up the envelope, pulling out a sheaf of legal papers adorned with gold notary seals.
"Arrest me? On what grounds, nephew? Marcus here is a senior partner of this firm, and every single document in this packet bears what appears to be your very own signature, witnessed and notarized according to state law," Richard replied, tapping the papers against his palm.
Clara stepped out from behind Julian, her voice ringing out clearly through the office. "It’s a fake. Julian was with me in Seattle the entire week those papers were supposedly signed and notarized."
Richard turned his gaze toward Clara, his smile vanishing, replaced by a sneer of utter contempt. "Ah, the waitress turned heiress speaks. Nobody cares where you were, young lady. The corporate board has already voted on the restructuring. By dawn tomorrow, Julian’s voting shares will be legally transferred, and you and your bastard child will be locked out of every Sterling property in this state."
Marcus flinched at the word 'bastard,' his professional conscience finally pricking him enough to intervene. "Now hold on, Richard, we didn't agree to terminate his personal trust completely—that was supposed to be a temporary leverage tactic to force him back into the family business!"
Richard whipped around, glaring daggers at the attorney. "Shut your mouth, Marcus, unless you want your own embezzlement records leaked to federal prosecutors."
Julian didn't blink. He reached out, snatched the papers directly from Richard’s hand, and ripped them cleanly down the middle in one fluid, violent motion. The torn parchment fluttered to the floor like autumn leaves.
"You don't own me, Richard, and you certainly don't own my family," Julian said, stepping forward until he was towering over his uncle. "If you want a war, you'll have it."
Richard glared at the torn pieces on the carpet, his face turning an angry shade of crimson. He pulled his phone from his pocket, dialing a number with furious stabs of his thumb.
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"Mother," Richard said loudly into the speakerphone as Eleanor answered on the first ring. "Julian has destroyed the documents. It’s time to activate the emergency asset freeze across all personal accounts."
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