CHAPTER 6: THE ULTIMATUM
Julian walked past his mother without breaking eye contact, his presence radiating an overwhelming aura of lethal authority. Helena stood up from the settee, her white tailored pantsuit suddenly looking like a costume of a defeated general.
"Julian, do not be dramatic," Helena commanded sharply, attempting to regain her lost footing through sheer maternal intimidation. "You owe everything you have to this family foundation. Remember your place."
Julian stopped at the base of the grand staircase, turning his head just enough to skewer her with a look of pure disgust. "My place is protecting my daughter from monsters," he said quietly.
Ethan tried to slip away toward the side corridor, desperate to escape the atmospheric pressure in the room. "I didn't even do anything, Julian! I was just watching!" Ethan protested defensively.
May you like
Julian’s voice cracked like a whip across the open hall. "Stay right where you are, Ethan, unless you want your jaw broken before the police arrive."
Lily buried her face in Julian's navy blazer, clutching his braided friendship bracelet tightly in her tiny fist. The American flag in the corner fluttered slightly from the draft of the open front door, bearing silent witness to the collapse of the Carter dynasty.
