Part 4
The room fell into an absolute,
suffocating silence as the voice echoed from the phone.
Ethan gripped the edge of the table,
his knuckles turning white.
"Julian Vance,"
Ethan said,
his voice remarkably cold and steady.
A soft,
amused chuckle came through the speaker,
sending a chill down Lena's spine.
"A clever boy,
just like your mother always said,"
Julian replied smoothly.
"Though she did mention you lacked her appreciation for family loyalty."
"My mother is in a prison cell where she belongs,"
Ethan retorted,
his eyes narrowing.
"And whatever business you had with her is finished."
"On the contrary,
Ethan,
our business has only just begun,"
Julian said,
his tone dripping with calm confidence.
"Your mother made certain promises,
and she backed them with significant capital."
"Capital that now belongs to me,
under a very strict legal agreement."
"I am aware of your little lakefront sanctuary,
and your new foundation."
"The Lena Hope Initiative is a beautiful sentiment,
really it is."
"But it is a direct attack on the Whitmore family legacy,
which I protect."
Ava leaned closer to the phone,
her voice sharp and filled with anger.
"You are protecting a criminal,
Mr. Vance."
"You are funding yourself with stolen money meant for victims."
There was a short pause on the line before Julian spoke again.
"Ah,
the lovely Ava,"
Julian murmured,
his voice dropping to a dangerous purr.
"I am glad to hear you are recovering your strength so well."
"It would be a shame if your health encountered another unfortunate setback."
Ethan's blood boiled,
and he took a step toward the phone as if to crush it.
"Threaten my wife again,
and I will personally ensure you share a cell with Margaret,"
Ethan snarled.
"That is not a threat,
Ethan,
it is simply an observation of life's unpredictability,"
Julian replied smoothly.
"I am a businessman,
and I prefer amicable solutions."
"I am willing to offer you a choice to resolve this quietly."
"Shut down the foundation,
cease all public statements about Margaret,
and leave Illinois."
"Do this,
and the millions in the trust will remain untouched by your lives."
"Refuse,
and I will use every resource at my disposal to dismantle your world."
"You have forty-eight hours to consider my generous proposal,"
Julian concluded.
"Goodbye,
Ethan,
give my regards to your lovely family."
The line went dead,
leaving only the sound of the rain beating against the windows.
Lena was trembling,
her eyes wide with terror as she looked at Ethan.
"He knows where we are,"
she whispered,
clutching her blanket tightly.
"He knows everything about us."
Laura Mitchell reached out and grabbed the phone,
recording the details of the call.
"That was an explicit attempt at coercion,"
the detective said,
her face grim.
"He just made his first mistake,
and we are going to use it."
Ethan looked at Ava,
seeing the absolute defiance in her eyes.
"We are not running,"
Ava said,
May you like
her voice ringing with pure steel.
"We stand our ground."
