LOGINELENA’s POV Julian turned his chair toward me. He reached out and took my hand again, squeezing it firmly."You did perfectly, Elena," he said, and for the first time all morning, a warm, genuine smile appeared on his face. "You looked Arthur in the eye and you didn't back down. Your father would have been very proud of you today.""Thank you, Julian," I said, feeling a tear of relief catch in the corner of my eye. "I couldn't have done it without you sitting there.""You did the hard part yourself," Julian said softly. "Now, the real work begins. The accounting firm is already downstairs in the main lobby. They brought twenty investigators with them. They are going to clone the main servers before Susan’s personal assistants can delete anything."For the next four days, the top floor of the Carnegie Global Shipping building looked like a war zone of paper and computers. The independent auditors took over the large conference room. Boxes of old paper invoices were stacked against the
ELENA’s POV The morning sun was bright, but it felt cold against the glass windows of the Carnegie Global Shipping headquarters. I stood in the lobby of the top floor, looking down at my shoes. I was wearing a dark blue business suit that Julian had ordered for me the night before. It fit me perfectly, but the stiff fabric made me feel like I was wearing someone else’s skin.My hands were shaking. I pressed my palms against the sides of my jacket to try and stop them from trembling.Julian stepped up beside me. He didn’t say anything right away. He just reached out and placed his large, warm hand over mine. The heat from his skin seemed to settle my nerves a bit. When I looked up at him, his expression was completely calm. His dark eyes were steady, like a shield protecting me from everything else in the building."You are ready for this, Elena," Julian said. His voice was low and smooth. "The shares are in your name. The law is on your side. All you have to do is walk into that ro
ELENA’s POV Marcus will hold Leo, and I will hold you. You will close your eyes and you won't look at anything until we are inside the car. Do you trust me?"I looked at his beautiful, fierce face. He was the only thing keeping me from falling apart. I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. "Yes. I trust you, Julian."Julian looked at Marcus. "Marcus, take Leo. Cover his head with your jacket. Do not let any flashbulbs hit his eyes." "Understood, sir," Marcus said. He walked over and gently lifted Leo from my arms. He pulled his thick black suit jacket over Leo’s head, making a safe, dark tent for my little boy. "Come here, little boss. We are going to play a game called 'Secret Agent.' Keep your eyes closed, okay?" "Okay, Marcus," Leo’s small, muffled voice came from inside the jacket. He sounded scared, but he trusted Marcus. Julian wrapped his large arm tightly around my shoulders, pulling my head down against his chest so my face was buried in his expensive gray suit jack
ELENA’s POV The leather seat of the executive chair felt too big for me. The boardroom was very quiet now. Susan, Sebastian, and Vivienne were gone, but their angry voices still seemed to echo against the high glass walls. Julian stood right next to me, his heavy hand resting flat on the dark wood of the table."You did perfectly, Elena," Julian said. His voice was low and very steady. "You stood your ground."I looked down at my mother’s old diary. My fingers were still cold. "My heart is beating so fast, Julian. I felt like I was acting in a movie. Is it really over?"Mr. Abernathy closed his black briefcase with a sharp click. "The boardroom battle is over, Miss Elena. The board members have accepted the papers. But we must be fast. Susan Carnegie is not a woman who sits quietly when she loses. We need to go back to the private club and let our legal team finish filing the court injunctions."Julian looked down at me, his dark eyes full of care. "Let us get Leo and go. The longer
The head lawyer stepped forward, opening his heavy black leather briefcase. He walked down the side of the table, and with smooth, practiced movements, he dropped a thick white document with a certified gold seal in front of Arthur Pendelton, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Miller, and Mr. Vance. He placed the final copy directly in front of Susan."What is this trash?" Vivienne asked, picking up the folder with two fingers as if it were dirty."Open it, Miss Carnegie," Mr. Abernathy said coldly. "That document is a certified copy of the Callum Carnegie Irrevocable Trust and Asset Transfer, registered and notarized five years ago with the Federal Banking and Corporate Registry."The boardroom became completely silent. The only sound was the rapid rustling of paper as the six independent board members opened the folders.Arthur Pendelton’s eyes scanned the first page. His hands began to shake. He looked up at Elena, then at the document, then down at Susan. "My God... Susan, look at the signature. Lo
The sun rose over the city at 6:00 AM, but the sky was covered in thick, dark gray clouds that threatened more rain.Inside the private club, Elena stood in front of a tall mirror in the dressing room. Julian had ordered a new outfit for her the previous night, and a premium boutique had delivered it before dawn. She wore a perfectly tailored midnight-blue suit jacket with matching trousers and a crisp white silk blouse. Her long dark hair was tied back into a neat, smooth bun.The door opened quietly, and Julian walked in. He looked magnificent in a dark gray three-piece suit with a black tie. His hair was perfectly styled, and his face was calm, though his eyes carried a sharp, intense focus. He walked up behind her, placing his large hands gently on her shoulders."You look beautiful, Elena," Julian said, his deep voice vibrating against her back. Elena turned around to face him, her fingers tightly clutching her mother's leather-bound diary, which she had wrapped in a small silk
The small law office smelled of old paper and cheap coffee. It was located on the second floor of a fading commercial building, far away from the glitzy downtown towers.Mark sat stiffly in a low leather chair, his hands clasped tightly between his knees. His mother, Eleanor, sat right next to him.
Julian walked down the wide, carpeted hallway toward the main boardroom. His boots made no sound against the thick gray floor, but his presence felt heavy. Two of his top corporate assistants walked a step behind him, their arms full of folders and tablets. Their faces were pale and tense. They kn
Elena’s POVThe morning sun was just starting to peek through the large kitchen windows, casting a warm, golden light across the clean white counters. The house was finally peaceful. The loud reporters were gone from the front steps, and the terrible sirens had stopped. I stood by the stove, slowl
The white sedan squealed around a sharp corner and came to a sudden stop in front of a small, faded brick house. This house was miles away from the wealthy side of the city. There were no flashing cameras here, and no tall iron gates. It was a simple, middle-class neighborhood. Mark jammed the c







