Chapter 24 - The Confrontation in the LibraryIsabella stood up slowly, her chair scraping sharply against the polished wooden floor of the library.

Julian looked up, blinking innocently. "Everything okay, Izzy? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Your name isn't Julian Vance, is it?" Isabella said, her voice dropping into a dangerous, icy whisper that commanded attention.
Julian's smile didn't fade. Instead, it twisted into something cold, calculating, and chillingly familiar. He closed his laptop screen with a soft click.
"Sharp as ever," Julian murmured, leaning back in his chair. "I must admit, it took you longer than I expected to put the pieces together."
"You're Victor Thorne's son," Isabella stated, gripping the edge of the table so hard her knuckles turned white.
"Not son. Nephew," Julian corrected smoothly. "Victor was my uncle. A brilliant man whose life’s work was destroyed by Marcus Vance and a homeless brat who didn't know how to mind her own business."
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"Victor got what he deserved," Isabella shot back, her eyes flashing with anger. "He kidnapped babies!"
Julian stood up slowly, towering over the table. "He reclaimed what was rightfully ours. And when federal agents locked him away, they left a vacuum. A vacuum I intend to fill. You thought the Obsidian Network was dead, Isabella? It was just sleeping. And I've been waiting ten years for this exact semester."