The moment Arthur laid the documents on the table, the room tilted. Julia stared at the paper trail—payments, fake invoices, encrypted transfers—all pointing to a single PR firm tied directly to Hughes Corp’s board. The betrayal cut deeper than any headline. Someone with power, someone untouchable, had tried to bury Brandon…and scorch her with him.
Brandon paced the room like a shadow unraveling. “You’re saying they framed me. The board. Not my father.”
Arthur nodded once. “And they’re not done.”
Julia stood abruptly. “Then we go to them.”
Brandon spun toward her. “No. Absolutely not.”
His voice was sharp enough to make her flinch, but she met his stare, unblinking. “I won’t hide while they burn my name.”
“That’s exactly why you shouldn’t go,” he shot back. “They’ve already targeted
