Chapter 5 - The Hostile Play
But my sudden absence from the corporate arena did not go unnoticed. By afternoon, the story of my sudden departure from the high-profile merger had leaked. Rumors began to swirl about my "erratic behavior" and the "mysterious woman" at the hospital.
I was sitting in the hospital cafeteria getting tea for Claire when Marcus stepped up to my table, his face grim.
"We have a problem, Julian," he said, sliding a tablet across the table.
The screen displayed a local tabloid headline: Billionaire Julian Whitmore Abandons Multi-Million Dollar Deal for Housekeeper.
"It's not just the press," Marcus said. "Your brother-in-law, Richard, is using this. He’s already contacting board members, claiming you're emotionally unstable and unfit to run the company—and worse, unfit to care for the boys."
Richard. Evelyn’s estranged brother. He had been furious when Evelyn left her entire estate and custody of the boys solely to me, bypassing him completely. He had spent years trying to find a way into our assets.
"He's filing for emergency temporary custody of Lucas and Owen," Marcus warned. "He’s claiming you’ve brought an unstable, medically fragile stranger into your home, endangering the children, and that you’ve abandoned your duties."
My blood ran hot. The audacity of a man who hadn't visited his nephews once in five years trying to take them from me was infuriating.
"Let him try," I growled, standing up. "I will burn my entire empire to the ground before I let him touch my children."
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"He's going to use Claire's medical history against her, Julian," Marcus said. "He'll claim she's a liability, that she manipulated her way into your home using her connection to Evelyn. We need to get her out of the hospital and into a secure, private location where his lawyers can't reach her."
"She’s coming to the mansion," I decided instantly. "We’re going to protect her. She is family now."
