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Chapter 10: The Price of a Miracle
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2026-03-25 04:42:58It wasn't just a new or regular day for Julian Thorne, it was the beginning of his misfortune and loss.
By 7:00 AM, the quiet he used to enjoy in his private suite was shattered by the persistent, loud vibration of his phone against the nightstand. He reached for it, expecting to be briefed by his assistant, waiting to get a congratulatory message from the board regarding the miracle baby news. Instead, the screen was a battlefield of notifications.
Missed Calls: Arthur Vance (14)
Text: Chief Financial Officer – URGENT: Trading halt requested.
Text: Lead Investor, Miller – EXPLAIN THE FRAUD ALLEGATIONS NOW.
Text: Evans – I JUST HOPE YOU ARE NOT SLEEPING IN THE MIDST OF THIS CHAOS.
Julian jumped from the bed, the drowsiness in his eyes totally vanishing. His head started to throb and his heart raced even faster.
Beside him was Sarah who was still sleeping. She had this blissful smile on her face, the sonogram tucked under her pillow like a trophy. He ignored her and swiped into his banking app. He waited for the biometric scan, his breath hitching.
The screen finally loaded. The balance of his primary operating account: the one that held the liquidity for the Thorne-Vance merger didn't show the usual eight figures. It showed a negative balance so large it was highlighted in red.
"No," he whispered, his fingers trembling as he refreshed the page. "This is mpossible. I must be having a terrible nightmare."
A new text bubbled up from Arthur Vance: “If the Blackwood funds aren't in the escrow account by noon, the merger is dead. You know I don't bluff. And Julian? Don't bother calling Sarah. If you have truly bankrupted my daughter's future like I saw on the news, consider yourself a dead man.”
The realization hit him like a physical blow. The Reconciliation clause wasn't a safety net; it was a distraction, a decoy. While he had been preening for the cameras and humoring Sarah’s public stunt, Elena had been surgically removing the floor beneath his feet,digging him a grave so deep that it was enough to contain his entire lineage..
The phone rang again. This time it was his personal banker.
"Mr. Thorne," the voice on the other end was cold, stripped of the usual professional warmth.
"Yes...yes, I was just about to reach out to you about the current situation. What is going on? Can you explain what happened to my bank accounts over the night?* Julian sharply said, panting.
"We have received a formal notice of financial separation from Elena Blackwood’s counsel. Under the emergency protocols of the Blackwood Trust, all commingled assets have been frozen pending a fraud investigation. Your personal lines of credit have been revoked."
"What are you talking about?" He dryly chuckled. " Do you even realize who you are talking to?"
"Julian Thorne?" The caller said. "This is the reality of things and the earlier you wake up and see things the way they have turned to be for you, the better."
" You really can't do what Elena says. You can't that," Julian gasped, standing up and pacing the room. "I am the CEO of the Thorne Group! I call the shots!"
"As of twenty minutes ago, the board has called an emergency session to vote on your removal," the banker replied. "The rumors of the secret debt leak have turned into a Category Five storm, Julian. You are now radioactive."
The line went dead before he could even respond.
Julian turned to see Sarah sitting up, rubbing her eyes. She looked at the phone in his hand, her smile widening. "What is going on, my love? Why are you up so early? And who were you talking to? Is it the press, darling? Are they asking about the wedding date? I was thinking that sometime in June..."
"Get out," Julian rasped.
Sarah froze. "What? Are you okay? Did I do anything wrong?"
"The money is gone, Sarah! All of it! The merger, the accounts, the Thorne Group... it’s all gone!" He threw the phone against the wall, the screen shattering. "Elena didn't just leave. She burned the house down while we were inside it."
Sarah looked at the shattered phone, then at her stomach. The sonogram, which minutes ago was her ticket to the Upper East Side royalty, now felt like a heavy stone.
"But... the baby," she stammered. "The Thorne heir..."
"There is no Thorne empire for an heir to inherit!" Julian screamed.
At that moment, a news alert flashed on the television in the corner of the room. A headline scrolled across the bottom of the screen in bold black letters: ELENA BLACKWOOD ASSUMES CONTROL OF BLACKWOOD INDUSTRIES; ANNOUNCES TOTAL DIVESTMENT FROM THORNE GROUP.
Underneath the headline was a photo of Elena. She wasn't the plain orphan anymore. She was dressed in black, standing next to Theo Sterling, looking like a woman who had just finished a war.
Julian sank to the floor. For three years, he had treated Elena as a shadow. Now, he was the one disappearing into the dark, having a taste of his own medicine.
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THE HEIRESS'S COLD REVENGEThe taxi Julian boarded dropped him off three blocks away from Sarah’s old apartment because he only had enough loose change in his pocket to cover the fare that far. He had to walk the rest of the way, his designer shoes were now scuffed and his pride, a jagged ruin. As he walked, he could not help but bury his head in shame. He had been the same one who had drove luxurious cars into the estate, but now, he was trekking and staggering like a drunk in the place he had once visited in secret to bring Sarah expensive gifts. Now, it was his only hope for a roof over his head.Eventually getting to the modest brick walk-up house, he stopped by the front stoop and fumbled for the spare key Sarah had given him months ago. He jammed it into the lock, twisting with desperate force and frustration.It didn't turn.He tried again, this time, his breath was coming in ragged gasps. He kicked the door once, twice, the sound echoing through the quiet street. "Sarah! Open
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The two-hour countdown began at exactly 6:00 PM, just as they had agreed. But before then, Theo had arranged for a swarm of photographers to be stationed across the street from the Sterling tower, ensuring Julian’s arrival was documented from every angle."We need to make this as real as possible."
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The morning light in the penthouse was sharp, reflecting off the floor-to-ceiling glass walls that overlooked a waking Manhattan. It was the morning when Julian and Elena had to meet to further discuss things.Julian arrived first, together with his lead counsel, Evan. They both looked as if they h
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The elevator ride to the top floor of the Sterling tower was a vacuum of sound, the only sensation being the slight pressure in Elena’s ears as the machine climbed. When the doors slid open, she stepped into a foyer that felt more like a fortress than a residence. Looking around, she saw that the
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The silence between Theo and me was a physical weight. It was heavier than the handcuffs I had managed to avoid for now. His proposal hung in the air like a velvet-wrapped ultimatum. Marrying the Executioner by sunrise was the perfect escape and a gilded cage all at once."Tick-tock, Elena," Theo m
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