Chapter 7 - The Prodigal Brother's ReturnDominic did not look pleased. He sighed, leaning back against the sofa as his older half-brother, Julian Vance, walked into the conservatory with the confident swagger of a man who owned half the shipping ports in Europe.
Julian stopped in front of Ella, his sharp green eyes—a stark contrast to Dominic’s dark gaze—sweeping over her with genuine, unmasked amusement. He extended a large, warm hand.
"Julian Vance," he introduced himself with a charming, lopsided grin. "And you must be the legendary maid who single-handedly brought down Vivienne Ashford and nearly gave my uptight brother a heart attack."
Ella blinked, hesitantly placing her hand in his. "Ella Marsh. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Vance."
"Drop the 'Mr. Vance,' sweetheart. Life's too short for titles, especially in this circus," Julian laughed, pulling up a chair and sitting down uninvited next to Ella. He shot a sidelong glance at Dominic. "I heard the news in Heathrow lounge, Dom. CNN was broadcasting live from your front gate. You actually let a woman slap her? What happened to the cold-blooded monster who usually feeds his enemies to the corporate sharks?"
"Vivienne crossed a line," Dominic said coldly, his jaw tightening. "And she paid for it."
"She paid for it with twenty years in a federal penitentiary," Julian chuckled, pouring himself a cup of tea from the pot Margaret had left. He turned back to Ella, his expression softening into something warmer, more perceptive. "Seriously, though, Ella. What you did took guts. Most people in this house would have kept their mouths shut and pretended they didn't see a thing."
"My grandmother taught me that silence in the face of cruelty makes you complicit," Ella replied quietly, her head held high.
Julian stared at her for a long second, a look of profound respect flashing across his rugged face. He whistled softly under his breath. "Damn. Where has a woman like you been hiding? If I had known my family's estate was housing a moral compass, I would have come back from London months ago."
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"Julian," Dominic warned, his voice sharpening into a lethal edge, his dark eyes narrowing as he glared at his brother. "Keep your hands—and your charm—to yourself."
Julian threw his hands up in mock surrender, laughing heartily. "Relax, little brother! I'm just appreciating good company. But speaking of business..." Julian's expression shifted into something more serious, pulling a slim USB drive from his pocket. "The raid on Sterling Group triggered a secondary audit. And you're not going to like what's buried in their shell companies, Dom."
