flash
Harold Donovan did not blink. He turned his head toward his desk, where a sleek, secure terminal sat bathed in the glow of the desk lamp. / Chapter 12 / 19

Chapter 13 - The Chessboard Opens

"Julian," Harold said, his voice dropping an octave into a low, gravelly warning. "I thought I made it clear that my associates were off-limits."

Julian didn't flinch. He simply raised his glass toward Harold, an amused smirk playing on his lips. "Always so protective, Harold. Can't an old acquaintance congratulate the brilliant young woman who dismantled your greatest rival's son?"

"She didn't dismantle anyone," Harold retorted sharply. "She reclaimed what was stolen. Now step away."

Julian bowed his head slightly, a theatrical gesture of mock submission. "As you wish. But remember, old friend—everything Donovan Holdings holds, someone else is always waiting to inherit."

With that, Julian turned and melted back into the crowd of glittering socialites.

Emily looked up at Harold, her heart beating a little faster. "Who was that?"

"A vulture," Harold muttered, his grip on his cane tightening until his knuckles turned white. "Julian Vance isn't related to Victoria. He’s the son of Arthur Vance—a man your grandfather and I pushed out of the Manhattan real estate market forty years ago. He's spent his entire life trying to buy back the empire we built."

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Evelyn’s fingers tapped rapidly against her scrub pocket, her expression locked in grim determination. The air inside the cramped storage closet smelled faintly of industrial detergent and powdered baby formula, a sterile scent that did little to calm the rising panic clawing at my throat.

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"Why is he interested in me?" Emily asked.

Harold looked down at her, his expression grim. "Because you hold the proxy shares of the Brooks family trust. To Julian, you aren't just a survivor of a failed marriage. You're the key to unlocking Donovan Holdings from the inside."

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