The word still hung in the air, tasting like ash and iron. My cheek throbbed from Julian’s blow, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the profound, icy numbness spreading through my chest. / Chapter 2 / 20

Chapter 2 - The First Brick FallsWithin ninety seconds of hitting that button, the first notification pinged on Julian’s precious gold watch.

I was standing in the walk-in closet, sliding off the modest silver band he had given me on our wedding day and dropping it onto the velvet tray. Through the open bedroom door, I heard the sudden, sharp buzz of Julian’s phone. Then, a collective murmur rose from the dining hall.

I walked back to the doorway, leaning casually against the frame to watch the chaos unfold.

Julian was staring at his phone screen, his face draining of color so fast he looked like a ghost. His hands began to tremble.

"What... what is this?" Julian muttered, tapping frantically at the screen.

"Julian, darling, your coffee is getting cold," Eleanor chirped, though her eyes flicked toward her son with sudden unease.

Before Julian could answer, his phone rang loudly. It was Marcus Vance, the senior managing partner of Vance & Sterling Capital, the primary venture capital firm underwriting Julian’s tech company, Aether Innovations.

Julian swiped to answer, forcing a strained, confident laugh. "Marcus! Perfect timing. Listen, regarding the Series B funding extension—"

"Are you out of your absolute mind, Julian?!" Marcus’s roar blasted through the phone speaker, loud enough for everyone at the table to hear. "We just received an automated corporate clawback notice! Our legal department is saying the underlying patent portfolio for Aether Innovations has been instantly dissolved and transferred to an independent holding entity!"

Julian’s breath hitched. "Patent portfolio? Marcus, you’re crazy. The patents belong to me! I founded the company!"

"You founded the shell, you arrogant idiot!" Marcus screamed. "The core cryptographic architecture—the very engine that makes your software worth billions—was licensed exclusively from a private entity called Aethelgard Holdings. And as of thirty seconds ago, that license has been revoked! Our investment is worthless! We are pulling out, and we are suing you for fraud!"

Click.

The line went dead.

The dining room plunged into a suffocating silence. The only sound was the heavy ticking of the antique grandfather clock in the corner.

Julian slowly lowered his phone, his eyes wide, bloodshot, and utterly uncomprehending. He looked up at me, standing by the doorway, calm and unbothered.