Chapter 13
A few moments later, the heavy metal side door clicked open, and Julian Vance was escorted into the room by a armed correctional officer. The transformation in the once-powerful billionaire was staggering.
Gone was the arrogant swagger, the tailored burgundy velvet jackets, and the effortless charm. Julian wore a standard orange jumpsuit that hung loosely on his frame, his dark hair unwashed and speckled with gray, his eyes hollow and bloodshot.
He shuffled toward the metal chair opposite the glass partition, sitting down heavily with a defeated sigh. When he looked up and saw Elena sitting calmly on the other side, a bitter, broken smile twisted his lips.
Julian picked up the heavy plastic telephone receiver attached to the glass wall. Elena slowly picked up her receiver, pressing it firmly against her ear.
"You look well, Elena," Julian's voice crackled through the small speaker, sounding raspy and diminished. "Success suits you better than it ever suited me."
"Save the pleasantries, Julian," Elena replied coldly, her gaze piercing through the glass with absolute detachment. "Your lawyers said you had something to surrender. Speak quickly; my time is valuable."
Julian chuckled softly, a hollow, pathetic sound that bounced off the cinderblock walls. "You really won, didn't you? You took my company, my estate, my social standing, and every single dime I accumulated."
"I didn't take anything, Julian; I simply reclaimed what was stolen from my family and exposed the fraud you built your entire life upon," Elena stated firmly, her breathing slow and controlled.
May you like
Julian leaned forward, pressing his palm against the glass as if trying to reach her through the impenetrable barrier. "I just wanted one more look at the woman who brought down an empire with a single white envelope."
"You brought yourself down, Julian. Arrogance is a terminal disease," Elena said, her voice devoid of anger, carrying only profound pity. "Is that all you wanted—to stare at your own failure?"
