Chapter 14 - The Blueprint of Deceit"Why?" Evelyn’s voice trembled as she descended the first few steps of the staircase, her jaw set with a mixture of terror and fierce defiance. "What did we ever do to you, Julian? We trusted you like a brother!"
Julian’s smirk vanished instantly, replaced by a dark, simmering rage that had clearly been festering for years.
"Like a brother?" Julian spat the words out like poison. "You treated me like an errand boy, Evelyn! I built Vanguard from the ground up alongside your grandfather while your family took all the credit, all the wealth, and all the glory. I was the architect of every major breakthrough, yet my name was never on the plaque!"
Julian paced back and forth across the marble floor of the foyer, his eyes wild with obsession. "When you married Daniel, I thought things would change. I thought I’d finally get my seat at the head of the table. But no—you two were too busy playing house, breeding heirs, and ignoring the empire rotting beneath your feet. So, I decided to take what was rightfully mine."
"And Vanessa?" Daniel asked tightly, his brain racing for any possible escape route, any shadow he could exploit. "Was she just a pawn to you?"
"Vanessa was convenient," Julian smiled coldly. "She had the ruthless streak I needed, but lacked the brains to finish the job. She thought she was going to run away to the French Riviera with your fortune, Daniel. Poor, delusional girl. She didn't realize she was just my scapegoat all along."
Julian pulled a small, heavy-duty digital detonator out of his pocket, holding it up so they could see the blinking green LED light.
"The moment I step out of these gates, a remote logic bomb will wipe every single hard drive, backup server, and physical archive associated with Vanguard Technologies into digital ash," Julian said smoothly. "And you, Daniel, will be left holding a bankrupt shell corporation with billions in federal liabilities for fraud."
"You're insane," Daniel whispered.
"I’m a pragmatist," Julian corrected. He backed slowly toward the front door, keeping his gun leveled at them. "And now, I have a flight to catch. Don't try to follow me, Daniel. Unless you want your lovely wife to experience what a real dungeon feels like for the rest of her very short life."
May you like
With a swift pivot, Julian slipped backward out the front door, slamming it shut behind him.
A second later, the roar of a high-performance engine tearing away down the private driveway echoed through the night.
Related Stories
