Chapter 3: The Empire of Sand
The realization hit Julian at 11:00 PM. His phone chimed. It wasn't his bank confirming the transfer; it was a notification from the SEC. Notice of Corporate Investigation: Misappropriation of Assets.
Within seconds, his phone exploded with calls from his board members. The stocks for his firm—the company he thought he owned—began to plummet. He opened the ledger, intending to move the money to a private account, but his credentials were denied. Access Revoked.
"What is this?" he shouted, his voice echoing through the mansion. "Who did this?"
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He looked for Vanessa, but she was already at the door, her coat on. She wasn't an adoring mistress anymore. She was a professional leaving the scene of a successful hit.
"The company was never yours, Julian," she said, pausing at the threshold. "You were just the front man. You were the fall guy. Elena wasn't the wife—she was the CEO. And she just fired you."
