Chapter 3 - THE VENOMOUS WEBThe revelation struck like a lightning bolt.
Julian’s mind raced. He had believed Genevieve acted out of pure, unadulterated arrogance and greed. But poison? An accomplice? That meant the enemy wasn't just a bitter, power-hungry matriarch; there was a snake hidden deep within the inner circle of the Blackwood empire.
Leaving heavy security at my door—eight armed private guards with orders to shoot anyone without top-level clearance—Julian marched back to the Blackwood Corporate Tower.
The emergency board meeting was called for 2:00 AM.
When Julian stepped into the top-floor boardroom, the ambient light reflected off the sleek glass surfaces. The twelve board members sat in trembling silence.
"Three hours ago," Julian began, his tone ice-cold as he walked to the head of the long mahogany table, "my mother was arrested for attempted murder. What none of you know is that toxicological reports just came back from the lab."
He slammed a stack of medical documents onto the table.
"My wife was poisoned with a synthetic oxytocin derivative hours before she was pushed down that staircase. A compound that is not commercially available. A compound manufactured exclusively by Vance Pharmaceuticals."
Gasps erupted around the table.
Sitting near the end of the table was Richard Vance, a senior board member and the CEO of Vance Pharmaceuticals—the father of Eleanor Vance, the woman Genevieve had tried to pair Julian up with.
Richard’s face flushed red, his hand trembling as he lowered his glass of water. "Julian... surely you aren't implying—"
"I am not implying anything, Richard," Julian cut him off, leaning forward and resting his hands on the table, staring straight into the man's soul. "I am stating a fact. Genevieve was promised twenty percent of Vance Pharma shares if she eliminated my wife and forced me into a merger via marriage with Eleanor."
"That’s libel!" Richard stood up, knocking his chair back. "You have no proof!"
"Don't I?" Julian pulled out a sleek silver flash drive and tossed it onto the table. "This contains the banking records of your private offshore account in the Cayman Islands. You made a transfer of five million dollars to Genevieve’s personal shell company yesterday morning at 9:00 AM."
Richard swallowed hard, his skin turning gray. The rest of the board backed away from him as if he were radioactive.
"You thought because I acted like a quiet, stay-at-home husband, I was blind?" Julian’s voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "I have controlled 60% of Blackwood International since I turned twenty-five. I let my mother run the show to draw out the rats. And you, Richard, just walked right into the trap."
"Julian, please!" Richard stammered, his bravado instantly collapsing into desperate begging. "It was Eleanor! She was obsessed with you! She convinced me—"
"Security," Julian commanded calmly.
The doors swung open, and federal agents poured into the room, holding warrants signed by a federal judge.
"Richard Vance, you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, corporate espionage, and financial fraud," the lead agent declared, clapping the handcuffs onto Richard’s wrists.
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As Richard was led out screaming curses, Julian turned back to the remaining board members, whose expressions were filled with absolute terror.
"From this moment on," Julian declared, "the game is over. Clean your closets, gentlemen. Because I am looking into every single one of you."
