Chapter 3 - Shadows Over the Grand Alcazar
By 2:00 AM, Elena was finally asleep, exhausted from the emotional confrontation and physical strain. Julian sat in the adjoining private study of the suite, surrounded by his most trusted advisors: his chief security officer, Anton, and his private investigator, Miller.
"Boss," Anton spoke softly, placing a thick black folder on the mahogany desk. "We verified Mrs. Rossi’s story. We tracked down the CCTV footage from the day she disappeared eight months ago. The footage from your corporate garage was wiped, but we managed to recover a corrupted file from a neighboring traffic camera."
Julian opened the folder. The grainy black-and-white photos clearly showed a black SUV intercepting Elena near the elevator shaft. The man pulling her into the car was Viktor, Marcus’s chief bodyguard.
"And Camila?" Julian asked, his voice dangerously low.
"Camila’s family firm was on the verge of bankruptcy eight months ago," Miller explained. "Marcus offered them a lifeline: if Camila lured you into an engagement, Marcus would use his newly acquired voting power in Rossi Enterprises to bail out her father's company. They constructed the narrative that Elena abandoned you so you would fall into Camila's trap."
Julian closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. The betrayal ran deep. Marcus was the son of Julian’s stepmother, a man Julian had tolerated for years out of respect for his late father. But Marcus had crossed the ultimate line. He had targeted Julian’s wife and unborn child.
Suddenly, Julian’s phone buzzed on the table. The caller ID displayed: Marcus Rossi.
Julian answered, putting the phone on speaker. He signaled Anton to begin tracing the call.
"Julian, brother," Marcus’s smooth, arrogant voice echoed through the speaker. "I heard a fascinating rumor from Camila. She said you threw a temper tantrum in the lobby of the Grand Alcazar over a pregnant maid? And that you broke off the merger deal?"
Julian leaned back in his leather chair, maintaining absolute calm. "Camila exaggerates."
"Does she?" Marcus chuckled darkly. "Julian, you need to pull yourself together. The board meeting is in three days. If you lose the Vance Group deal, the shareholders will vote to remove you as CEO. Don't let a ghost from your past ruin your empire."
"Elena isn't a ghost, Marcus," Julian said softly.
A brief pause hung on the line. Marcus’s tone hardened slightly. "What are you talking about?"
"She’s here with me," Julian replied, his voice laced with venom. "And she told me everything. About the warehouse. About Viktor. About the snipers."
Silence fell over the line. When Marcus spoke again, all warmth had evaporated from his voice.
"You always were too sentimental, Julian," Marcus hissed. "You should have let her stay dead to you. Now... things are going to get messy."
"Try me, Marcus," Julian spat back. "Because I am coming for everything you have."
"Check the news in five minutes, dear brother," Marcus sneered before hanging up.
Anton immediately pulled up a tablet. A breaking news alert popped up on the major financial network:
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"BREAKING: Rossi Enterprises CEO Julian Rossi Accused of Embezzlement and Misconduct; Board Calls Emergency Vote to Oust Him."
Julian stared at the headline, a cold smile touching his lips. Marcus was launching his final strike.
