Chapter 13:What Arthur Found

Julian's POV

Arthur Chen's office smelled of old paper and strong coffee.

It was stronger than the coffee Julian usually allowed himself to drink.

Arthur sat behind his desk, looking tired. His shirt was slightly wrinkled, and there were dark circles under his eyes.

Julian did not need to ask if he had slept.

The answer was obvious.

Neither of them had slept much.

Arthur picked up a folder from the side of his desk and placed it in front of Julian.

“I found something.”

Julian pulled out the chair and sat down.

Arthur pushed the folder closer.

“Three offshore accounts,” he said.

Julian opened the folder.

“Three?”

“Yes.”

Arthur pointed to several pages.

“They're all connected to the same shell company. The company was registered eighteen months ago.”

Julian looked through the papers.

The company's name meant nothing to him.

“What about Marcus?”

“His name isn't anywhere on the official paperwork.”

Julian looked up.

“Then how do you know he's connected to it?”

Arthur took out another document.

“Because of the money.”

He placed it on the desk.

“Look at these transfers.”

Julian leaned closer.

Arthur pointed at several entries.

“Money was sent from the shell company's accounts into Marcus Webb's personal account.”

Julian studied the numbers.

“When?”

“Four different times during the last year.”

Julian's eyes moved slowly over the dates.

They matched.

The payments had not been random.

They had happened at regular points throughout the year.

“How much?”

Arthur looked at him.

“Just under three million dollars in total.”

Julian stopped reading.

Three million.

He leaned back in his chair.

For a moment, he said nothing.

Marcus had worked for him for eleven years.

Eleven years of loyalty.

At least, that was what Julian had believed.

He looked down at the papers again.

“For eleven years of loyalty,” he said quietly, “that's a remarkably cheap price.”

Arthur did not smile.

“There’s more.”

He pulled out another sheet.

This time, he moved more slowly.

His expression had changed.

There was something serious in his eyes.

He slid the paper across the desk.

Julian picked it up.

“The shell company's registered agent,” Arthur said, “traces back to a competitor.”

Julian looked at him.

“Who?”

“Vantage Holdings.”

Julian's expression changed immediately.

He knew the company.

Of course he did.

Vantage Holdings had been trying to buy a controlling stake in Blackwood Industries for two years.

They had made offer after offer.

Julian had rejected every one.

“They've been trying to take control of the company,” Julian said.

“For two years.”

Arthur nodded.

“Exactly.”

Julian stared at the paper.

The pieces began to come together.

Marcus.

The secret payments.

The shell company.

Vantage Holdings.

The strange messages.

The security problems.

The elevator.

The fire.

Everything that had seemed like separate events suddenly looked connected.

Julian felt something inside his chest become cold.

Marcus was not simply angry with him.

He was not acting alone.

Someone was paying him.

Someone had a reason to want Julian out of the way.

Someone had been waiting for the right opportunity to take control of Blackwood Industries.

Julian closed the folder for a moment.

“He's not acting alone.”

“No.”

Arthur's answer came quickly.

Julian looked at him.

Arthur leaned back in his chair.

“No, he's not.”

The room became quiet.

The only sound was the low hum of the air conditioner.

Julian looked down at the documents again.

“If Vantage Holdings is behind this, then Marcus has been working with them for at least a year.”

“That's what the money suggests.”

“And the shell company?”

“Was created eighteen months ago.”

Julian nodded slowly.

That timeline was close enough to make his stomach turn.

He thought about the last year.

The strange decisions Marcus had made.

The small problems that had been easy to ignore.

The things that had gone wrong without an obvious reason.

Maybe they had never been accidents.

Maybe someone had been slowly preparing for this.

Arthur picked up his coffee.

He took a small drink before speaking again.

“Julian.”

His voice had changed.

It was quieter now.

More careful.

Julian looked at him.

“If this is real,” Arthur said, “you need to understand something.”

“What?”

“If Marcus is willing to cause a fire in a building filled with employees just to send a message, then he's already crossed a serious line.”

Julian said nothing.

Arthur continued.

“You can't assume he'll stop because you've discovered him.”

Julian's eyes hardened.

“What are you saying?”

“I'm saying you need to be careful.”

Arthur placed the coffee cup back on the desk.

“Men who are willing to go this far don't always stop on their own.”

Julian looked away.

His mind immediately went to Zoe.

He saw her again in his head.

She had been on her knees outside the building.

She had been coughing so hard that she could barely speak.

There had been soot across her face.

Her hands had been shaking.

And yet she had still looked at him and said she was fine.

She had been more worried about the young valet worker than herself.

Julian closed his eyes for a moment.

Then he remembered the notebook.

The small notebook filled with Zoe's handwriting.

Dates.

Times.

Names.

Warnings.

She had written everything down because she had been afraid.

She had carried that fear alone for days.

And Julian had ignored her.

He had called her paranoid.

He had assumed she was overreacting.

He had told her to leave.

Now he understood how wrong he had been.

Zoe had noticed things he had failed to see.

She had trusted her instincts when he had refused to trust hers.

Julian opened his eyes.

“What do you suggest?”

Arthur did not answer immediately.

He thought for a moment.

“Quietly build the case.”

Julian nodded.

“Don't confront Marcus yet.”

“Why?”

“Because we don't know everything.”

Arthur pointed at the papers.

“This is strong evidence, but we need more.”

Julian looked at him.

“And the board?”

“We need enough evidence that they can't ignore it.”

Julian remained silent.

Arthur continued.

“And the police need something solid too.”

“You think we should involve them now?”

“Not yet.”

Arthur shook his head.

“Not until we can give them something they can act on immediately.”

Julian understood.

If they moved too soon, Marcus might realize what was happening.

He might run.

Or worse.

He might become more dangerous.

Arthur leaned forward.

“If you warn him too early, we lose the advantage.”

Julian nodded slowly.

“He'll know we're onto him.”

“Yes.”

“And then he'll disappear.”

“Or accelerate whatever he has planned.”

The last words stayed in the air.

Julian looked down at the folder.

Accelerate.

He thought about the fire.

Maybe that was exactly what Marcus had already started doing.

The elevator had been a warning.

The fire had been something else.

A step closer.

A stronger message.

Julian stood from his chair.

Arthur looked up at him.

But before Julian could walk away, Arthur spoke again.

“And Julian…”

Julian stopped.

Arthur's voice became quieter.

“There's something else.”

Julian turned around.

“Whatever is happening with your housekeeper…”

Julian's expression tightened.

“Zoe?”

Arthur nodded.

“Whatever role she's playing in this, protect her.”

Julian said nothing.

“If Marcus knows she was the one who found the flash drive,” Arthur continued, “then she's not just a witness anymore.”

Julian's chest tightened.

Arthur looked directly at him.

“She becomes a problem he may want removed.”

The word stayed in Julian's mind.

Removed.

He imagined Zoe walking through the building alone.

He imagined the man near the laundry room.

The strange badge.

The warning.

The fire.

Then he imagined her trapped inside that garage.

His hands tightened at his sides.

“She stays close to me,” Julian said.

Arthur raised an eyebrow.

“Starting today.”

For a few seconds, Arthur simply stared at him.

There was something in his tired eyes.

Something almost amused.

But Julian knew Arthur too well.

His old friend was not amused.

He was noticing something.

Something Julian did not want to discuss.

Arthur leaned back in his chair.

“That isn't just about protection, is it?”

Julian's expression became unreadable.

“It is about keeping her alive.”

Arthur continued looking at him.

Julian held his gaze.

Neither man spoke.

Finally, Julian turned toward the door.

The conversation was over.

He did not want to hear whatever Arthur was about to say next.

He opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

Behind him, Arthur remained silent.

Julian walked through the building and eventually stepped outside.

The Manhattan afternoon was gray.

The sky was covered with clouds, and the streets were busy with people moving in every direction.

Cars passed.

People hurried along the sidewalks.

Everything looked normal.

But Julian no longer felt normal.

His mind was still inside Arthur's office.

Three offshore accounts.

Three million dollars.

Marcus.

Vantage Holdings.

The fire.

Zoe.

He stopped for a moment on the sidewalk.

Arthur's words came back to him.

She's not just a witness anymore.

She's a liability.

Julian looked across the street without really seeing anything.

He knew what he needed to do.

He needed to find out everything.

He needed to stop Marcus.

He needed to protect Blackwood Industries.

And he needed to keep Zoe alive.

That was all.

At least, that was what he told himself.

But deep inside, Julian knew there was something else.

Something he was not ready to admit.

When he had seen Zoe on the sidewalk after the fire, fear had hit him harder than anything else.

Not fear for his company.

Not fear of losing money.

Not fear of losing control.

Fear of losing her.

He had never felt that kind of fear for an employee before.

And that truth made him uncomfortable.

Very uncomfortable.

Julian started walking again.

He kept his face calm as people passed him.

But inside, his thoughts were no longer calm.

Arthur had seen something in him.

Something Julian had tried to hide behind words like protection and responsibility.

Maybe Arthur was right.

Maybe this was no longer only about keeping a witness safe.

Maybe Zoe had become much more important to him than he was willing to admit.

Julian pushed the thought away.

He was not ready to look at it.

Not yet.

There were bigger problems waiting.

Marcus was still inside his company.

Vantage Holdings was still somewhere behind the plan.

And whoever “R” was still remained unknown.

Julian knew one thing for certain.

He was no longer going to wait for them to make the next move.

This time, he was going to be ready.