Chapter 9: The House of Cards
Arthur Thorne’s jaw dropped. His face lost all its color, turning an ashen gray. "You... you audited my supply chain?"
"Did you really think I built a Fortune 500 tech empire by being careless?" Julian said, his voice cutting like a scalpel. "I noticed your company overbilling Vance Tech by twelve percent across three quarters. I kept quiet because I thought we were becoming family. But when your daughter revealed who she truly was, the gloves came off."
Adriana lunged forward, gripping the wrought-iron gate, her manicured fingers trembling with fury. "You bastard! You used me!"
"No, Adriana. You tried to use my son to secure a seat on my board and a lifetime of trust-fund payouts," Julian said, his eyes locking onto hers with unyielding disdain. "You thought Louis was weak. You thought a six-year-old child had no voice. But he has me. And as long as I draw breath, no one touches my family."
"Julian, wait—let's talk about this!" Arthur sputtered, completely abandoning his tough demeanor as the realization of an impending SEC investigation set in. "We can renegotiate the terms! We can fix this!"
"Security," Julian said without looking back. "Clear the driveway. If either of these individuals sets foot on my property again, have them arrested for trespassing."
The iron gate slid shut with a heavy, final clang.
Julian turned his back on their shouting and walked up the long driveway toward his home. Behind him, the shouts of the paparazzi drowned out Adriana’s hysterical screams.
As he reached the front porch, he saw Louis standing by the glass French doors, holding Evelyn’s hand. The boy was smiling shyly, a warm blueberry muffin half-eaten in his other hand.
May you like
Julian smiled back, feeling a profound sense of peace wash over his spirit. The storm had arrived, but inside the walls of his home, the foundation was unbreakable.
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