Chapter 3: The Threat from the Past
The scandalous cancellation of the Montgomery-Vance wedding was the only thing the media talked about for the next month. The public assumed the wedding was called off due to infidelity or financial ruin, as the family kept the true medical and biological reason strictly under wraps to protect Julian and Clara from a lifetime of cruel gossip.
Julian legally changed his last name to Montgomery-Vance, moving into a large estate with Clara—not as her husband, but as her fiercely protective older brother and business partner. They channeled their incredible, synchronized compatibility into running the Montgomery charitable foundation, becoming closer than any ordinary siblings could ever dream of being.
However, the dark past that Evelyn had fled twenty-six years ago was not finished with them.
One stormy evening, while Julian and Clara were reviewing financial documents in their home study, the heavy glass doors leading to the terrace were violently smashed open. Three men in dark suits stepped into the room, followed by an older man with cruel, piercing gray eyes and a scar running down his jawline.
Evelyn, who was reading in the armchair corner, dropped her teacup. It shattered on the hardwood floor. "Arthur..." she whispered, her voice paralyzed with fear.
Arthur Montgomery, Clara and Julian’s biological father, stepped into the light, a sinister smile stretching across his cold face. "Hello, Evelyn. It took me over two decades, but a high-profile, canceled wedding involving a woman with your exact description tends to draw a lot of attention."
Julian instantly stepped in front of Clara and Evelyn, his tall frame shielding them completely. "Who the hell are you? Get out of our house before I have security execute you."
Arthur laughed, a dry, raspy sound. "Your house? My boy, I am Arthur Montgomery. I am the man who owns the debts your mother ran away from. And more importantly, I am the man who discovered that my weak, pathetic wife gave away my rightful heir to a wealthy family."
Arthur pointed a cane at Julian. "The Vance family is wealthy, but they are nothing compared to the criminal empire I operate in the shadows of this city. You, Julian, are my firstborn son. You carry my blood, my intellect, and my legacy. I didn't come for your mother, and I certainly didn't come for this girl." He glanced at Clara with utter disdain. "I came for you. You’re coming with me to take your place at the head of my organization."
"He is going nowhere with you," Clara snarled, stepping out from behind Julian, her eyes flashing with a fierce, dangerous anger. "You abandoned us. You abused our mother. You are a monster."
"Watch your mouth, girl," one of Arthur’s henchmen warned, pulling a suppressed pistol from his jacket.
Arthur raised a hand, stopping his guard. He looked at Julian. "If you don't come with me peacefully, Julian, I will ensure that the disgusting, twisted secret of your 'romance' with your sister is leaked to every media outlet in the world. I will destroy Clara's reputation, I will ruin the Vance family name, and I will ensure your mother spends the rest of her miserable days in a psychiatric ward. Choose carefully."
Julian looked at his sister. He saw the terror in his mother’s eyes. He felt the heavy weight of the bloodline he never asked for. He knew Arthur was powerful enough to execute his threats.
"Fine," Julian said calmly, though his eyes were sharp as flint. "I’ll go with you. Just leave them alone."
"Julian, no!" Clara screamed, grabbing his arm.
Julian turned to her, gently untangling her fingers. He gave her a small, subtle wink—a secret signal they had developed as children when playing games, a sign that meant trust me, I have a plan.
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"Take care of Mother, Clara," Julian said softly. "I'll see you soon."
As Arthur’s men escorted Julian out into the stormy night, Clara stood in the center of the ruined study, her hands shaking not with fear, but with a burning, fierce determination. Her brother had sacrificed himself to protect them, but she was not the weak little girl her father thought she was. She was a Montgomery, and she was going to tear her father's empire down to get her brother back.
