THE HOLIDAY APPEAL: LOCKED IN WITH MY LEGAL RIVAL

Chapter 8 : THE KING'S WRATH

The glass-walled office of Vane & Associates felt like a frozen tomb. Outside, the New York skyline was lit up for Christmas, but inside, the air was sharp with the scent of ozone and expensive cigars.

Arthur Blackstone didn't look like a man who had just lost his son. He looked like a man who had just declared a war.

"You’re throwing it all away, Julian?" Arthur’s voice was a low, gravelly rumble. He didn't turn from the window. "For a girl with a sharp tongue and a mediocre law degree? You’re trading a kingdom for a commoner."

Julian stood in the center of the room, his hands in his pockets, looking more relaxed than he had in years. "I’m trading a cage for a career, Father. And Clara Sterling is anything but mediocre. She’s the only person in this city who actually scares you. That’s why you wanted her destroyed."

Arthur finally turned, his eyes cold as flint. "You think you can walk out of here and start over? I own the banks that fund your firm. I own the judges who hear your cases. By New Year’s Day, your name will be a punchline. You’ll be lucky if you can get a job defending traffic tickets in Queens."

"Then I’ll be the best damn traffic lawyer in Queens," Julian shot back with a grin. He tossed his office keys onto the mahogany desk. "Keep the penthouse. Keep the Ferrari. I’m taking the one thing you can’t bill by the hour: my integrity."

Julian walked out, the heavy glass doors clicking shut behind him. But as he stepped into the elevator, the adrenaline began to fade, replaced by a cold reality. He reached into his pocket and realized he didn't even have his subway card. He was the "Prince of Manhattan," and he had exactly forty-two dollars in his wallet.

He pulled out his phone and dialed the only number that mattered.

"Clara? It’s done. I’m officially unemployed, homeless, and probably disinherited." He paused, leaning his head against the elevator wall as it descended. "I hope you have a couch, Counselor. Because the 'Modern Royalty' just went into exile."