Chapter 5 - The Ashes and the Ultimatum
The fallout was immediate and catastrophic.
Within twenty-four hours of the gala, the Vanguard merger collapsed completely. The board of directors stripped Julian of his title, froze all his corporate accounts, and launched an internal forensic audit. The media had a field day, dubbing him "The Corporate Monster of Wall Street."
Julian sat alone in our sprawling living room, surrounded by unpacked luggage and crushed dreams. The penthouse was repossessed by the bank, and his credit cards were all declined. Chloe Vance had already vanished into thin air the moment his bank accounts hit zero, blocking his number everywhere.
I walked down the stairs, carrying a single, heavy cardboard box.
Julian looked up, his eyes bloodshot, his hair disheveled. The arrogant, slick CEO was entirely gone. He looked pathetic.
"Clarissa... please," Julian rasped, crawling toward my feet. "Drop the lawsuit. Call Marcus. We can fix this. I made a mistake, I was weak—"
"You weren't just weak, Julian. You were cruel," I said, looking down at him as if he were a bug on the floor.
I set the cardboard box down right in front of him. Inside were his college diplomas, a few old clothes, and a copy of the divorce papers.
"What is this?" he whispered.
"Your new beginning," I replied smoothly. "Marcus filed the finalized divorce papers this morning. You get nothing. Not a single cent of Evelyn’s estate, not a share of the company, not even the car you drove here in. The courts have seized every asset linked to your fraudulent accounts."
Julian stared at the papers, his hands trembling violently. He reached out to grab my ankles, but I stepped back, keeping my distance.
"Wait," he choked out, tears finally spilling down his cheeks. "What about... what about Mom? Where is she?"
I walked over to the mantel, picked up Evelyn’s white urn, and carried it over. I knelt down, placing the heavy ceramic container directly into his lap.
May you like
Julian gasped, clutching the urn to his chest like a drowning man clutching a life preserver.
"She’s right where she belongs, Julian," I whispered coldly. "With the only son who abandoned her. Take her, take your box, and get out of this house before I call the police for trespassing."
