Chapter 4 - The House of Glass
Julian stared at the silver drive dangling from Elena's manicured fingers, feeling as though the ground beneath him had dissolved into open ocean. The drive contained every illegal transaction he had hidden through Elena’s grandfather’s offshore entities—documents he had intended to use as blackmail to force a fifty-fifty settlement.
""Give that back,"" Julian rasped, his voice dropping an octave as desperation clawed at his chest. ""You have no right to that.""
""Right?"" Elena laughed, a short, crystalline sound devoid of warmth. ""You married into a dynasty, Julian. You entered my family’s house, slept in our beds, and spent our fortune, all while convincing yourself you were the cleverest man in the room. You took our money to fund her.""
She gestured dismissively back toward the terrace above the cliffs where Chloe had been left behind.
""Elena, please,"" Julian pleaded, lowering his voice, conscious of the growing crowd of onlookers watching the fire. ""We can talk about this. In private. We loved each other once.""
""You loved my surname. You loved the doors it opened."" Elena’s eyes narrowed, stripping away whatever remained of his pride. ""And you forgot that those same doors can slam shut and lock from the outside.""
She turned toward the open door of the Maybach, slipping the flash drive into her purse. ""I suggest you check your accounts before five o'clock. The French authorities are very particular about maritime negligence, especially when arson by reckless endangerment is on the table.""
""Elena, don't leave me here!"" Julian shouted as she slid into the leather interior of the luxury sedan.
The window rolled down just two inches. ""I'm not leaving you here, Julian. I’m leaving you with nothing.""
The Maybach accelerated smoothly, gliding into the coastal traffic and disappearing around the bend. Julian stood paralyzed amid the smell of burning fiberglass and diesel fumes. His phone rang in his pocket, vibrating against his thigh like an angry hornet.
He pulled it out with numb fingers. The caller ID flashed: BOARD OF DIRECTORS - CHAIRMAN.
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With a sinking heart, Julian pressed the green button. Before he could utter a word, a furious voice boomed through the speaker:
""Julian! What the hell have you done? The market just opened, and our stock is in freefall!""
