Chapter 2 - JULIAN’S ARCHIVES
Julian did not flinch.
He stepped toward his secure terminal,
his fingers flying across the mechanical keyboard with practiced precision.
“Floor fourteen,” Julian said, his voice entirely flat,
though I could see the cold fury tightening the muscles in his jaw.
“The Presidential Suite.
Reserved under a corporate liaison account belonging to MorganWell.”
“Of course it is,” I whispered, staring down at my damp shoes.
“Adrian loves billing expenses to his own firm while pretending it’s a client dinner.”
Julian swiveled the monitor toward me,
revealing a detailed ledger of recent bookings, digital key card logs, and executive expense reports.
“Mrs. Morgan, this isn't the first time,” Julian stated quietly.
“The system recorded three previous stays this month under the same corporate profile.”
A chill washed over me that had nothing to do with the Michigan rain.
Three times.
While I had been sitting at home mourning my father,
while I had been sorting through condolence cards and legal documents,
Adrian had been entertaining Celeste Bain in my family's crown jewel.
“Show me the security footage from those nights,” I commanded,
my voice dropping into a register Julian recognized immediately.
It was my father's tone.
Uncompromising.
Absolute.
Julian nodded once and tapped another key.
On the screen, grainy black-and-white camera captures flickered to life.
There was Adrian stepping out of the elevator with Celeste on a Tuesday two weeks ago.
There they were laughing near the indoor atrium last Friday.
“Do you want me to have security escort them out immediately?” Julian asked,
his hand hovering over the house phone.
“No,” I said, straightening my shoulders as the trembling in my hands finally stopped.
“Throwing them out now is too easy.
It gives them a chance to invent an excuse.
I want every single log, every invoice, and every key card record exported to an encrypted drive.”
“Consider it done,” Julian replied, inserting a small metal flash drive into his terminal.
“And what about the partnership proposal on your desk?”
I looked at the thick leather-bound folder resting beside my ruined lemon pastries.
Adrian had left it there that very morning, begging me to review it 'as a supportive spouse.'
“Keep the proposal right here,” I murmured, a cold smile touching my lips.
“Adrian is scheduled to present the final pitch to the board tomorrow morning at nine.
Let him walk into that boardroom thinking he has already won.”
“And Celeste?” Julian asked.
“Let her play corporate first lady for one more night,” I answered softly.
“Tomorrow, the empire they think they are building is going to collapse around them.”
Julian handed me the encrypted drive.
“Your father would be proud, Elise.”
May you like
“My father built this place so his family would never be humiliated,” I replied.
“It’s time to collect.”
