Chapter 3: The Lion’s Den
"Get out," Julian said.
Eleanor raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"You, the lawyers, the security detail. Everyone on your payroll. Get out of this room before I have you forcibly removed."
"You are being emotional, Julian. You are the CEO of Vance Shipping because of my board of directors. Do not—"
"I am the CEO because I built the infrastructure you were too lazy to modernize," Julian snapped. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He wasn't calling security. He was calling the District Attorney’s office, a contact he’d made during a merger negotiation the previous year.
"I am recording this entire conversation," Julian continued, his eyes locked on his mother’s. "And I have the medical chart. You think you can buy this hospital? Maybe. But you can't buy the federal investigation that starts the moment I upload this data to the cloud."
The lawyers shifted uncomfortably. Eleanor’s face finally cracked, a flicker of genuine alarm crossing her features. She had expected a tantrum, not a tactical strike.
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"You would destroy our family legacy?" she hissed.
"You already destroyed it," Julian said, stepping between his mother and his wife. "You built a cage, Mother. Now, watch it burn."
