Chapter 2
The silence that followed Beatrice's desperate excuse was heavy enough to suffocate everyone standing in the luxurious American living room. Harrison stepped further into the room, his heavy dress shoes clicking rhythmically against the pristine hardwood floor.
The US flag standing proudly on its brass pole in the corner seemed to snap to attention under the weight of his presence. "You call a violent assault and battery a domestic disagreement inside an American household, Madam?" Harrison whispered dangerously.
Julian grabbed his mother’s arm, his fingernails digging into her fabric as his knees threatened to buckle beneath him entirely. "General, please, it was a momentary lapse in judgment; we can settle this quietly without lawyers or authorities," Julian pleaded.
"You don't settle federal felonies with a handshake, Julian, especially when you raise your hands against my blood," Harrison stated coldly. Chloe adjusted the strap of her sapphire blue dress, her micro-expressions completely deadpan as she watched them squirm.
Beatrice looked around the sprawling living room, suddenly realizing that her multi-million dollar social status couldn't shield her now. "We are citizens of standing in this community; you cannot simply walk in here and dictate terms like a dictator," Beatrice snapped.
"I am an officer of the United States armed forces, and I swore an oath to protect the innocent from domestic tyrants," Harrison replied. Two heavily armed military police officers stepped silently through the front double doors, blocking all avenues of escape.
May you like
Julian’s face turned the color of ash as he recognized the insignia of the Department of Defense on their uniforms. "You called the Pentagon?!" Julian shrieked, staring at his wife with a mixture of disbelief and pure, unadulterated terror.
"I called my father, Julian, because you forgot who gave you the corporate capital to build this pathetic empire," Chloe answered quietly.
