Chapter 7
The horrifying truth washed over Julian like freezing seawater, stripping away the last remaining illusions of his comfortable, affluent suburban existence. Elena hadn't just survived his betrayal; she had built a multi-billion-dollar empire specifically designed to hunt down, corner, and utterly destroy the Vance dynasty. Every major business deal Julian had won over the last five years, every favorable government contract, every expansion—it had all been engineered by Elena's shadow corporation. He was never a brilliant corporate strategist; he was merely a mouse playing inside a glass cage constructed by the very woman he had discarded.
Julian turned slowly back toward the stage, looking at his twin sons with a mixture of profound awe and soul-crushing despair. They weren't just exceptional students; they were the executioners sent by a queen who had finally decided to reclaim her stolen throne. "Where is she?" Julian asked, his voice trembling as he gripped the edge of the wooden podium for physical support. Ethan tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes gleaming with an ominous, knowing brilliance.
