Chapter 12 - The Trojan Horse
Three days later, a high-level acquisition meeting was scheduled in the gleaming 40th-floor boardroom of Sterling Technologies. The prospective buyer was a mysterious European holding firm called Aegis Capital—fronted by none other than Julian Vance himself.
Julian walked into the boardroom flanked by two towering corporate security guards, wearing a tailored Italian suit and a predatory, confident smirk. He extended a manicured hand toward Arthur, who sat calmly at the head of the glass table.
"Mr. Sterling. A pleasure to finally meet the man behind the legendary tech empire," Julian purred, taking a seat without waiting for an invitation. "I’ll cut straight to the point. We know about the encrypted flash drive containing your late wife's files. We want it back, along with the corporate keys to your east-coast servers."
Arthur didn't shake Julian’s hand. He simply leaned back, steepling his fingers beneath his chin.
"And if I refuse?" Arthur asked smoothly.
Julian chuckled, a dry, grating sound. "Then your children—little Lily and the baby, Noah—might find themselves locked in something a lot more permanent than a doghouse next time your private security takes a coffee break."
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The air in the room instantly plummeted to sub-zero temperatures. Julian had crossed the ultimate red line.
Arthur didn't flinch. Instead, a chilling, deadpan smile touched the corners of his lips. "You talk too much for a man who walked straight into a glass cage."
