Chapter 6 - The Lion’s Den
At precisely 10:00 AM, I walked up the front steps of my house.
I pushed open the front door. The scent of expensive jasmine candle wax hung in the air—Chloe’s doing, trying to overwrite every trace of my life and Leo’s memory in our home.
Julian was sitting at the dining room table. He was dressed in a sharp business-casual blazer, looking every bit the ruthless corporate shark he fancied himself to be. Spread out before him was a thick stack of papers—a fraudulent quitclaim deed and a blanket asset waiver designed to strip me of every legal right to the house and anything tied to it.
Chloe was standing nearby by the kitchen counter, sipping a mug of artisanal coffee, wearing one of my old silk robes that she had apparently decided to claim.
“You look terrible, Clara,” Julian said, offering a patronizing smile as he gestured to the chair opposite him. “Sit down. Let’s get this over with quickly. I have a busy day at the office.”
I didn't sit down. I remained standing right by the entryway, looking at him with an expression so completely devoid of fear or sadness that it actually made Julian’s smile falter for a split second.
“Just hand me the pen, Julian,” I said quietly. “I want out.”
Relief flooded his features. He slid the papers forward, along with a sleek black fountain pen. “See? Was that so hard? Just sign on the marked lines where I placed the yellow sticky notes. Initial each page at the bottom.”
I stepped forward, picked up the pen, and opened the document. I didn't read the fraudulent clauses—I already knew what they said. Instead, I slowly flipped to the final signature page, uncapped the pen, and looked straight into Julian’s eyes.
“You know, Julian,” I said, my voice cutting through the silent room like a razor blade. “You always did underestimate me. You thought because I was weeping over a little white casket three days ago, my mind was gone.”
Julian frowned, his brow furrowing. “What are you talking about? Just sign the papers, Clara. Don't start getting emotional now.”
“I’m not emotional at all,” I replied calmly. “In fact, I’ve never felt clearer.”
Before he could pull the papers back, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, pressed speakerphone, and laid it facedown on the center of the dining table.
Phoebe Vance’s voice rang out loud and crystal clear through the room: “The civil asset freeze on Apex Venture Solutions has been successfully executed, Clara. The Travis County Sheriff’s financial crimes unit has just locked Julian’s corporate accounts, and deputies are heading to his office right now.”
Julian’s face instantly drained of all color. The smug expression shattered, replaced by sheer, unadulterated panic.
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“What... what is this?” Julian stammered, jumping to his feet so fast his chair crashed backward onto the hardwood floor. “Clara, what did you just do?!”
Chloe dropped her coffee mug. It shattered against the kitchen tiles, brown liquid splashing across her bare feet. “Julian, what is he talking about? Who was on that phone?!”
