Chapter 6 - The Uninvited GuestJulian stood up so fast his chair screeched against the marble floor. Jenna pulled Daisy close to her chest, her breath catching in her throat.
Heavy, hurried footsteps pounded across the foyer. Before Julian could reach the dining room archway, a figure burst into the room.
It was a man in his late forties, drenched in melting snow, his expensive suit rumpled and his face twisted in a mask of manic desperation. It was Marcus Vance—Julian’s senior vice president and the very man Julian had just implicated in the fraudulent audit.
"Julian! Thank God you're here," Marcus panted, gripping the back of a chair for support. He stopped dead when he saw Jenna and Daisy sitting at the table. His eyes narrowed with sudden hostility and suspicion. "What is the meaning of this? Who are these people?"
"Marcus," Julian said, his voice dropping into a dangerous, icy register. "How did you get past the security gate?"
"I have a key, Julian! We're partners!" Marcus snapped, though his eyes darted nervously toward the front hall. "We have a massive problem. The federal investigators—they've reopened the Carter Logistics file. Someone leaked the original pre-audit documents to the SEC this morning."
The dining room went dead silent.
Jenna stared at Marcus, the blood roaring in her ears. The name Carter Logistics triggered a spark of memory. She had seen that name on her husband’s old computer files—files Marcus Vance had locked away.
May you like
Julian didn't flinch. He slowly walked around the table, closing the distance between himself and his vice president. "You leaked?" Julian whispered. "No, Marcus. You embezzled, and you framed Arthur Carter to cover your tracks."
Marcus’s face drained of all color. He backed away toward the wall, his hand slipping inside his coat pocket. "You don't understand what you're saying, Julian. If I go down, I'm taking this entire firm—and your reputation—down with me."
