Chapter 2
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The heavy silence inside the penthouse corridor was deafening, broken only by the soft hum of the central air conditioning system.
Julian stared at his chief of security in absolute shock, his mouth hanging open like a helpless, confused child.
"Are you insane, Frank?!" Julian spat out, his face turning an unhealthy shade of purple as his rage bubbled over.
"I hired you! I pay your salary! You work for me!"
Frank didn't flinch, his expression as cold and unyielding as the granite walls surrounding the luxurious top-floor suite.
"My salary is paid by Vanguard Asset Management, Mr. Vance," Frank corrected calmly, stepping aside to make way for two armed marshals.
"And Vanguard Asset Management is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Montgomery Global Family Office."
From inside the master bedroom, Chloe stepped out wearing Elena's silk robe, her face plastered with expensive makeup from the night before.
"Julian, babe, what is all this noise?" she whined, looking around at the armed marshals with sudden, nervous anxiety.
"Why are there security guards in our hallway?"
"Get your things, Chloe," Julian hissed, panic finally taking full control of his body as he realized the sheer scale of the situation.
He rushed back into the master suite, throwing open the mahogany closet doors to grab his tailored suits and expensive watches.
When he reached for his safe hidden behind the painting, the digital keypad displayed a blank screen—completely powered off from the main server.
"No, no, no, no!" Julian cursed, hammering his fist against the heavy steel safe door in utter desperation.
"All my personal watches are in there! My custom Rolexes! My emergency cash!"
"The contents of that safe have been impounded pending a full forensic audit of corporate funds," one of the federal marshals stated coldly.
"Step away from the wall, sir, or you will be placed in handcuffs for obstructing a court-ordered asset seizure."
Chloe began screaming as a female marshal grabbed her designer handbag, dumping its contents onto the silk duvet.
The handcrafted cashmere coat and the priceless emerald pendant fell onto the bed, glistening under the chandelier lights.
"That coat and that jewelry belong to Mrs. Elena Montgomery," the marshal announced, carefully bagging the items as evidence.
"You will not be leaving this building with any personal property belonging to the Montgomery estate."
"That's my necklace!" Chloe shrieked, reaching out with her long acrylic nails to snatch the emerald back.
The marshal instantly grabbed Chloe's wrist, twisting it behind her back and snapping a pair of cold steel handcuffs onto her wrists.
"Chloe Sterling, you are under arrest for grand larceny and possession of stolen property," the marshal barked sternly.
Julian watched in complete horror as his mistress was dragged out of the penthouse, sobbing hysterically in her silk bathrobe.
"Julian! Do something! Tell them who you are!" Chloe screamed as her voice faded down the long marble corridor.
Julian tried to step forward, but Frank placed a heavy, solid hand against Julian's chest, blocking him completely.
"Your time is up, Mr. Vance," Frank said quietly, grabbing Julian's arm and escorting him toward the service elevator.
"Where are you taking me?!" Julian panicked, trying desperately to break free from the chief's iron grip.
"To the street," Frank replied simply. "Just like you ordered us to do to your wife twelve hours ago."
They descended through the service elevator, passing through the dirty kitchen bays where line cooks stared at Julian in absolute shock.
The very employees Julian had treated like invisible servants watched their former boss being marched out in a silk bathrobe and slippers.
The heavy metal back doors of the resort swung open, exposing the alleyway where trash compactors hummed loudly in the morning air.
Frank shoved Julian out onto the cold concrete pavement, tossing a small canvas bag containing only his driver's license at his feet.
"Mrs. Montgomery left a message for you," Frank said, looking down at the broken man shivering in the alleyway dirt.
Julian looked up, his eyes wide with desperate, pathetic hope. "What... what did she say?"
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Frank smiled a slow, cold smile. "She said: 'Welcome to the ground level, Julian.'"
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