Chapter 3 - Shadows of the Past
Two weeks after the dramatic ousting, Evelyn sat in her father’s private study at the Vance townhouse. The room smelled of old leather, rich mahogany, and expensive tobacco. Lily was asleep upstairs, guarded by a top-tier security team.
Arthur Vance poured two glasses of scotch, handing one to his daughter. "You handled yourself well at the board meeting, Evelyn. Your mother would have been proud."
Evelyn took the glass, staring into the amber liquid. "Thank you, Dad. But it doesn't feel like a victory yet. Julian is desperate. Men like him don't just accept defeat and disappear. He’s going to fight dirty."
"Let him try," Arthur said, taking a sip. "The legal walls are closing in on him. But you're right to be cautious. My intelligence team discovered something disturbing. Julian has been communicating with Thomas Sterling."
Evelyn’s hand froze midway to her lips. "Thomas Sterling? The man who tried to bankrupt you twenty years ago?"
"The very same," Arthur nodded grimly. "Sterling has never forgiven me for running him out of the country. He’s been operating from Hong Kong for two decades, waiting for a chance to strike at the Vance family. When Julian started looking for international investors to bail out Crestmont behind your back, Sterling saw his opportunity. He’s the one who planted Victoria in Julian’s path."
A chill ran down Evelyn’s spine. Victoria wasn't just an ambitious gold-digger; she was a trained corporate operative sent by a bitter enemy to destroy her family. "Does Julian know?"
"Julian is too arrogant to see he’s being used as a pawn," Arthur replied. "He thinks Sterling is his savior. Right now, Julian and Victoria are staying at a penthouse owned by one of Sterling’s shell companies. They are planning a counter-suit to challenge the validity of my medical recovery, claiming I defrauded the board by faking my illness."
Evelyn let out a sharp laugh. "Faking it? You were poisoned, Dad! We both know it."
Arthur’s eyes turned deadly serious. "Yes, we do. But the public doesn't. The poison Sterling used left no trace in the standard medical screenings. If Julian’s lawyers manage to paint my recovery as a elaborate corporate hoax to reclaim Crestmont, it could trigger a federal investigation, freezing our assets while they investigate."
Evelyn stood up, pacing the room. Her mind raced, connecting the dots. "Then we don't give them the chance to file that lawsuit. We need to cut off their funding. If Sterling is funding Julian’s legal team, we need to make it too expensive for Sterling to keep supporting him."
"How do you propose we do that?" Arthur asked, a proud gleam appearing in his eyes.
"Sterling’s main revenue comes from his shipping logistics company in Asia," Evelyn explained, her eyes flashing with determination. "They rely heavily on the European trade routes. Crestmont just acquired the maritime shipping rights for the North Atlantic corridor last month. If I block his ships from using our ports, Sterling’s stock will plunge. He’ll have to drop Julian to save his own skin."
Arthur smiled, raising his glass in a toast. "That’s my girl. Play to win, Evelyn. Leave them no room to breathe."
Meanwhile, across the city in a dark penthouse, Julian was staring out at the skyline, a bottle of cheap whiskey in his hand. Victoria was on the phone, her voice frantic as she argued with their legal counsel.
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"We need more time!" Victoria screamed into the receiver. "Julian needs access to his offshore accounts!" She slammed the phone down and turned to Julian. "The lawyers want a five-hundred-thousand-dollar retainer by tomorrow morning, Julian! Do something!"
Julian didn't look at her. His mind was consumed by a toxic mixture of regret and blinding fury. "Evelyn took everything," he muttered. "She took my company. She took my daughter. I’m going to ruin her, Victoria. Even if I have to burn this entire city to the ground."
