Chapter 6: The Corporate Retaliation
Peace, however, did not come without a final counterattack from the empire they had left behind.
In late autumn, Arthur Sterling launched a multifaceted legal campaign designed to crush Julian’s independence. High-priced corporate litigators filed an emergency injunction in the Massachusetts Superior Court, claiming that Julian had violated non-compete covenants and demanding court-mandated custody evaluations for the children, arguing that Julian's lack of corporate employment made him an unstable guardian.
On a frosty November morning, Julian and Maya sat in a sterile legal conference room in downtown Boston, facing a phalanx of five corporate attorneys headed by Arthur’s chief counsel, Vance Harrington.
Harrington, a man with sharp grey hair and a smile like a shark, slid a thick binding across the table.
""Mr. Sterling,"" Harrington began smoothly. ""Your father is willing to withdraw all legal claims, dismiss the custody challenge, and establish an eight-figure trust fund for the three minor children on one simple condition.""
Julian did not touch the folder. ""Name it.""
""You will return to the firm, assume the executive directorship of the transatlantic logistics group, and relocate your family to the family compound in Greenwich. Miss Caldwell will receive a generous spousal stipend, but corporate public relations will manage all public statements regarding the children's parentage.""
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Harrington leaned back, adjusting his gold cufflinks. ""If you refuse, we will tie your architecture license up in frivolous litigation for a decade. You won't be able to build a doghouse in this state.""
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