Chapter 9 - The Invitation
Later that afternoon, Nora walked into the study with a stack of mail and a sealed, heavy cream-colored envelope bearing an embossed gold crest. She placed it neatly on Julian's mahogany desk while he was reviewing architectural blueprints for the new community center he was funding in downtown Manhattan.
"This just arrived by courier, Julian," Nora said, her brow furrowed slightly with concern. "It's addressed to you personally, and the delivery service insisted it required a direct signature."
Julian looked up from his blueprints, taking the envelope. The return address read Sterling, Vance & Associates — Private Trust Division.
A cold shadow passed over the room. Marcus might have been behind bars awaiting federal trial, but the vast, interconnected network of corporate holdings and old-money associates he had manipulated over the years still possessed tendrils reaching deep into Greenwich society.
Julian slid his letter opener under the flap and pulled out a thick cardstock invitation.
You are cordially invited to the Annual Greenwich Heritage Charity Gala, hosted by the Board of Trustees. Guest of Honor: Julian Mercer. Special Address regarding the future of the Mercer Foundation.
It wasn't a threat; it was a trap wrapped in silk. The elite of Greenwich—many of whom had quietly whispered about Julian’s prolonged reclusivity and mental state during his three years of grief—were expecting him to step back into the public eye. They wanted to see if the billionaire titan had truly recovered, or if he was still a fragile, broken recluse ripe for corporate takeover.
Nora watched Julian's expression tighten. "Is it trouble?" she asked softly.
May you like
Julian folded the invitation and placed it back on the desk, his jaw set with quiet determination.
"No, Nora," Julian said, his voice steady and resolute. "It’s an invitation. And for three years, I hid from the world. It’s time I showed them who’s really running this estate."
