Chapter 7 - Inside the Lion's Den
The private penthouse office on the fiftieth floor offered a panoramic view of the city skyline, wrapped entirely in floor-to-ceiling ballistic glass. Elena stood near the edge of the room, keeping Lily close behind her, while Julian poured two glasses of amber scotch from a crystal decanter on the mahogany wet bar. The ambient sound of the city far below was completely muted by the soundproof architecture.
""You really thought you could outsmart me with a petty stash of stolen files from a washed-up investigator?"" Julian asked smoothly, taking a slow sip of his drink without turning around. ""Marcus was obsolete ten years ago, Elena. Anything he gave you was a digital ghost.""
""You built an entire empire on fraud, Julian,"" Elena retorted, stepping forward as her heels clicked sharply against the imported Persian rug. ""You falsified medical records, declared our child legally non-existent, and paid off a corrupt adoption network just to punish me for leaving your shadow.""
Julian turned slowly, his face a mask of cold composure. He set his glass down with a precise, deliberate thud. ""I protected our family name from your reckless instability. You were unwell, Elena. The court records—even the ones you haven't seen yet—prove that you were unfit to mother a child.""
""Don't you dare twist the narrative!"" Elena shouted, stepping closer, her voice cracking with suppressed fury. ""You stole my baby from the delivery room and told me she died of complications! You are a monster hiding behind a tailored suit!""
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Julian’s eyes flashed with sudden, dark rage. He closed the distance between them in two long strides, grabbing Elena by the wrist with a grip like a vise, his face inches from hers.
""Careful what you call me in my own house,"" Julian whispered dangerously, just as the private elevator doors behind them chimed once more.
