Chapter 3: The Shadow Broker
978 Words
The room went silent. This was not the Julian they knew. The Julian they knew wore oversized sweaters and apologized for existing. This Julian seemed to suck the oxygen out of the room.
"You have some nerve showing up here," Sylvia screeched, standing up. "Security!"
"Sit down, Sylvia," Julian said. He didn't shout. He didn't have to. The authority in his voice was absolute.
Sylvia sat. She didn't know why, but her legs simply obeyed.
Julian walked to the bed. He ignored Grant, who was still hovering by the door, confused by the transformation.
"Elena," Julian said softly. "Are you okay?"
"Who are you?" Elena whispered, looking at his suit, his expensive watch. "Where did you get these clothes?"
"I have savings," Julian lied smoothly. "I dug them up. For you."
"You stole it!" Sylvia accused. "He embezzled it from the household accounts!"
"Grant," Julian said, finally turning to the other man. "You mentioned a security audit on your accounts?"
Grant narrowed his eyes. "How did you hear that?"
"Word travels fast in finance."
"You don't know anything about finance. You write failed poetry." Grant straightened his tie. "You're playing dress-up, Julian. It’s pathetic. I’m going to go fix my accounts, and when I come back, if you are still here, I will have you arrested."
"Go ahead," Julian smiled. It was a shark's smile. "But check your email first. I believe the Blackwood Consortium just flagged your latest real estate deal in Dubai for money laundering."
Grant froze. His face went ashen white. "That's... that’s confidential."
"Is it?" Julian shrugged. "Not anymore."
Grant pulled out his phone, his fingers fumbling. He read an email, cursed loudly, and ran out of the room.
Arthur looked at Julian with new eyes. "How did you know about Dubai?"
"I read the news," Julian said vaguely. He turned back to Elena. "Do not sign anything with him. He is a fraud."
"And you?" Elena asked, tears in her eyes. "Are you a fraud, Julian? Because this..." She gestured to his suit. "This isn't the man I married."
"I am exactly the man you married. I’m just finished being the victim." Julian leaned in. "I need you to trust me one last time. Give me 24 hours. If I haven't fixed the company by tomorrow night, I will sign the divorce papers."
"24 hours?" Sylvia laughed. "We need five million dollars in 24 hours!"
"Done," Julian said.
"You're insane," Arthur said. "You're having a psychotic break."
"24 hours, Elena," Julian repeated, ignoring them.
Elena looked into his eyes. She saw the same kindness she fell in love with, but backed by a steel she had never seen.
"Okay," she whispered. "24 hours."
"You are making a mistake!" Sylvia yelled.
Julian turned to leave. "I'll see you at dinner. The Vance Estate. 8:00 PM. Have a setting for me."
"You are not welcome in my house!" Sylvia shouted.
"It's not your house anymore, Sylvia," Julian said as he reached the door. "Check the deed."
He walked out, leaving the Vance family in stunned silence.
…
Julian sat in the back of a blacked-out SUV. Marcus sat opposite him, typing furiously on a tablet.
"You bought the house?" Marcus asked.
"The bank owned the mortgage. I bought the note an hour ago. Technically, I am their landlord."
"Petty, sir. I like it."
"What about the construction firm?"
"Acquired. Through a shell company, 'Phoenix Enterprises.' We own 51% of the shares as of market close today."
"Does Grant Sterling know?"
"No. He is too busy fighting the money laundering investigation we triggered. He is running around trying to shred documents."
"Good." Julian looked out the window. "Tonight, we end it."
The SUV pulled up to a massive glass building, the headquarters of Vance Architecture. It was late, but the lights were on. The employees were in panic mode.
Julian got out. He wasn't wearing a visitor badge.
He walked to the front desk. "I'm here to see the CFO."
"Do you have an appointment?" the guard asked.
"Tell him the new majority shareholder is here."
The guard blinked. He made a call. Two minutes later, a sweating man in a cheap suit came running down. It was Peter, the Vance CFO, a man who had once laughed at Julian when Julian asked to borrow a stapler.
"Who are you?" Peter asked, looking at Julian's expensive suit. "Julian? The husband?"
"I prefer 'The Boss' now, Peter." Julian tossed a folder onto the desk. "Phoenix Enterprises has purchased the controlling stake of this firm. You work for me."
Peter opened the folder. His eyes bulged. "This... this is legit."
"It is. Now, I want to see the books. The real books. The ones you were hiding from Elena."
Peter went pale. "I don't know what you mean."
"Grant Sterling said there were discrepancies. He knew that because someone on the inside told him. Someone was feeding him info to tank the stock price so he could buy it cheap." Julian leaned over the desk. "Was it you, Peter?"
"I... I have a family," Peter stammered.
"So do I," Julian said coldly. "And you helped destroy it."
"Grant promised me a position! He said the company was going under anyway!"
"You're fired," Julian said. "And you're going to write a confession. If you do, I won't hand you over to the Feds. I'll just let you work at a fast-food joint for the rest of your life."
Peter slumped. "Okay. Okay, I'll talk."
"Good. One more thing," Julian said. "There is a dinner tonight at the Vance Estate. Grant Sterling will be there. I want you to come. And I want you to bring the ledger."
Julian turned to leave. He pulled out his phone and dialed Marcus.
"Is the helicopter ready?"
"Waiting on the roof of the Blackwood Tower, sir."
"Excellent. I have a dinner to attend."
- Writer
