Chapter 5 - THE UNEXPECTED ALLYBefore Julian could utter the word to ratify the corporate coup, the heavy study doors didn't just open—they were blown wide open. A loud, metallic clatter echoed as the security guards stationed outside were tossed into the hallway like ragdolls.
Julian’s smile vanished instantly. "What the—? Who's there?!"
Stepping through the smoke of the hallway was a figure wearing a sharp, charcoal-gray tailored suit, dark sunglasses, and an unmistakable smirk. It was Detective Marcus Thorne—the chief investigator of the state’s elite white-collar crime and corruption unit. But he wasn’t alone. Right behind him walked someone Julian thought he would never see again.
"Vanessa?!" Julian blurted out, his face turning pale as a ghost. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you in custody?"
Vanessa brushed off her shoulders, her previous tearful hysteria completely gone, replaced by a cold, calculating look of absolute triumph. She walked right past the stunned security guards and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Detective Thorne.
"Did you really think I was stupid enough to trust a second-rate corporate vulture like you, Julian?" Vanessa sneered, crossing her arms. "You promised me half the empire after Sophie was gone. But you forgot one crucial detail: I record every single conversation I have with my partners in crime."
Sophie gasped, stepping out from behind her father. "You... you recorded Julian?"
"Every single word, sweetie," Vanessa smirked mockingly at Sophie, showing zero remorse. "I knew Julian was planning to cut me out and frame me for the murder if things went south. So, two weeks ago, I made a deal with the state anti-corruption division. I gave them every text message, every bank transfer slip, and every audio recording of Julian orchestrating the hit on your family."
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Julian lunged toward Vanessa in a blind rage, screaming, "You treacherous bitch!" but Detective Thorne stepped forward instantly, slamming a pair of heavy steel handcuffs onto Julian’s wrists with lightning speed.
"Julian Vance, you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, corporate racketeering, and wire fraud," Thorne announced loudly, his voice echoing through the mansion. "Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."
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