Chapter 4 - The Escort Out
The crystal lights seemed to flare brighter against the panic blooming in Clara’s chest. The word warrant hung in the air like poison. She immediately pulled Lily behind her skirts, her motherly instincts overriding every other thought.
"A warrant?" Clara whispered, looking up at Julian. "What did you do?"
Julian remained completely composed, not a single hair out of place. He glanced down at the guard, his jaw set in a hard, uncompromising line. "Who called them?"
"Anonymous report, sir," the guard said in a frantic whisper. "Claiming corporate espionage and intellectual property theft from Sterling Enterprises. They're demanding to detain everyone leaving this wing."
Behind them, Richard’s shrill laugh echoed down the marble hallway. Clara turned to see him holding his phone, a smug, triumphant sneer returning to his features.
"You thought you could blindside me with legal technicalities, Thorne?" Richard sneered, loud enough for half the hall to hear. "I knew Clara kept copies of the core architecture. If you're using them, you're both complicit in grand larceny. Let's see how much your money protects you from a federal indictment."
Clara felt a sickening cold flood her veins. She hadn't stolen anything, but when she packed her personal belongings from the office three months ago, she had taken her personal research notebooks—notebooks Richard had claimed were company property during the divorce proceedings.
"Julian," Clara murmured, terror fraying the edges of her voice. "My notebooks... I have them at my apartment. He knows that."
Julian looked down at her, his dark eyes steady, completely devoid of fear. "Do you trust me, Clara?"
"I don't even know you," she breathed honestly.
"You know I despise bullies," Julian countered softly. He turned toward the guard. "Open the service corridor behind the stage. Take us to the private basement lift."
"Mr. Thorne, if the police are outside—"
"The police are answering a fraudulent claim filed by an insolvent CEO," Julian interrupted, his voice dropping into an authoritative baritone that brooked no defiance. "Do as I say, or I will buy this venue tomorrow and dismiss the entire management board."
The guard swallowed hard, nodded rapidly, and keyed open an unmarked panel in the wood-paneled wall.
"Follow me," Julian instructed, effortlessly lifting Lily into his arms before Clara could protest. The little girl wrapped her arms around his neck without hesitation, resting her cheek against his satin lapel.
They ducked into the dim, utilitarian concrete corridor just as the lobby doors banged open, accompanied by heavy footsteps and the sharp bark of police radios. They navigated the labyrinth of pipes and emergency lighting, arriving at an underground garage where a sleek, armored black sedan waited with its engine purring.
The chauffeur sprang out, opening the rear door instantly. Julian helped Clara into the back seat, settled Lily beside her, and climbed in after them.
"Get us to the penthouse," Julian ordered the driver.
As the car accelerated into the night rain, Clara watched the flashing red and blue lights swarm the museum perimeter through the tinted rear glass. She turned to Julian, her hands shaking.
May you like
"Why are you going this far for us?" she demanded.
Julian stared out into the rain-slicked city before meeting her eyes. "Because twelve years ago, your father gave a penniless kid a scholarship that changed his life. I swore I’d repay the debt—and Richard Sterling has no idea who he just declared war against."
