Chapter 5 - The Snake Uncoils
Julian slammed his hands onto the table, his composure completely disintegrating. "Co-guardian? What the hell are you talking about, Moretti? She is my wife! That is my daughter!"
"Is she?" Luka asked calmly, pulling a certified document from his coat and sliding it across the table for the entire board of directors to see. "According to the municipal birth registry signed yesterday afternoon at 4:15 PM, you legally abandoned the child at the facility, renouncing parental rights on camera. I signed the paternity affidavit. Legally, Julian, you are a stranger to this family."
The board members began whispering frantically among themselves, pulling up the digital court filings on their tablets.
"You bastard!" Julian screamed, lunging across the table toward Luka.
Luka didn't even flinch. He casually caught Julian by the front of his expensive jacket with one hand, twisting his grip slightly until Julian was forced down onto his knees, gasping for breath.
"Touch me or step within ten feet of Elena again," Luka whispered directly into Julian's ear, "and I won't just ruin you financially. I will personally deliver the murder evidence surrounding Arthur Vance's vehicle to the State Attorney General."
Julian’s eyes widened in sheer terror. "You... you don't have proof..."
"I have file M-17," I said, stepping forward so Julian was forced to look up at me from the floor. "My father knew you were altering his research. He knew you were trying to sell his life's work to offshore buyers who wanted to synthesize his cellular patents. He left the master encryption key in my name."
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I turned to the board of directors. "Every single person in this room who voted to support Julian Vance's illegal proxy bid has ten minutes to resign, or my legal team will file criminal accomplice charges before noon."
Within three minutes, four senior directors threw their badges onto the table and walked out without looking back. Sabrina grabbed her purse and sprinted out the side exit, leaving Julian kneeling on the floor alone, his empire crumbling into dust around his feet.
