Chapter 2 - THE MAN JULIAN NEVER MET
“What debt?” Julian repeated.
He had gone pale.
Arthur Reed was apparently still shouting through the phone.
Julian turned away from me.
“No, no, that's impossible. Vale Meridian owns those shares.”
He listened.
His jaw tightened.
“What do you mean the debt was called?”
Another pause.
“You can't trigger a default over one covenant.”
I managed to pull myself up against the couch.
Selene hurried toward him.
“Julian, what's happening?”
He shoved her hand away.
“Not now.”
Her face hardened.
“Don't talk to me like that.”
His phone buzzed again.
A message appeared.
EMERGENCY BOARD SESSION — 11:30 P.M.
Then another.
VOTING RIGHTS TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED PENDING REVIEW.
Julian stared.
“No.”
He said it softly at first.
Then louder.
“No.”
I had heard that tone from him before.
The voice of a man discovering that money had finally said no to him.
Selene turned to me.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
“Stop saying that.”
“I made one call.”
“To an accountant?”
I almost laughed.
My father had never been an accountant.
He had once told me the best disguise for a powerful man was to let everyone assume he was boring.
Julian stormed toward me.
“Who is he?”
I looked up.
“My father.”
“Who is your father?”
Before I could answer, the private elevator chimed.
All three of us froze.
Julian glanced at the security panel.
“No one should be able to come up here.”
The elevator doors opened.
Three men stepped out.
Two wore dark suits.
The third was older, broad-shouldered, silver-haired, and carrying no briefcase.
Julian knew him.
Everyone in American finance knew him.
Victor Marlowe.
Founder of Marlowe Capital.
A man whose investment group controlled billions in private debt, infrastructure, real estate, and corporate voting positions.
A man Julian had spent three years begging for a meeting with.
Selene whispered, “Oh my God.”
Victor's eyes found me.
Everything in his face changed.
“Elena.”
He crossed the room.
The instant he saw my back, his expression became terrifyingly calm.
“Who did this?”
Julian took one step backward.
I looked at my father.
“He did.”
Victor turned.
Julian tried to recover.
“Mr. Marlowe, there has clearly been a misunderstanding.”
My father's voice was quiet.
“My daughter is bleeding on your floor.”
Julian blinked.
“Your… daughter?”
“Yes.”
Selene stared at me as if my face had changed.
Victor removed his jacket and laid it gently across my shoulders.
Julian looked between us.
“But Elena's last name—”
“Her mother's.”
“You told me your father was—”
“I told you he worked with numbers.”
My father gave me a sideways glance.
“Technically true.”
Even now, I nearly smiled.
Julian didn't.
He looked sick.
My father turned to one of the men behind him.
“Daniel.”
The man opened a tablet.
“Vale Meridian's primary revolving credit facility has been accelerated. Three subsidiary guarantees are now under review. Two institutional shareholders have requested an emergency governance vote.”
Julian shook his head.
“You can't do this.”
Daniel looked bored.
“We already did.”
Julian pointed at my father.
“You don't own my company.”
Victor's eyes sharpened.
“No.”
Then he looked toward the elevator.
“But the man who does is on his way up.”
The elevator chimed again.
May you like
And when the doors opened, Julian stopped breathing.
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