Julian Without the Tuxedo
Chapter 10 - Julian Without the Tuxedo
Julian met Emily in a courthouse conference room.
He wore a plain navy suit.
No wedding flowers, cameras, or family lawyers surrounded him.
“I was raised to believe the company had to remain with us,” he said.
“You were raised. Then you made choices.”
“I thought you wanted the name more than me.”
“You forged my signature because you believed that?”
Julian looked away.
He admitted reading the medical report Vivian arranged.
He suspected it was false.
He used it anyway because declaring Emily unstable would make the transfer easier.
He claimed he never knew Laura was alive.
Emily believed that part.
It did not rescue the rest.
Julian offered to annul the marriage quietly and surrender part of his shares if Emily protected him from prosecution.
She refused.
“The veil, the chair, and the cameras were meant to destroy my credibility. You do not get privacy because the plan failed.”
Julian asked whether she ever loved him.
“Yes.”
The answer surprised him.
Emily continued.
“That is why your betrayal worked.”
Love had opened access.
It had not erased responsibility.
Julian left the meeting without a deal.
May you like
Outside, reporters asked Emily whether she wanted revenge.
“No,” she said. “I want records that cannot be changed by whoever owns the ballroom.”
