Chapter 5 - A Slap with a Subpoena
By Thursday afternoon, the Kensington real estate empire was experiencing a localized earthquake. The independent audit Julian had initiated was already sending shockwaves through the lower administrative floors of the building. Richard and Beatrice, realizing that their financial survival was hanging by a thread, resorted to the nuclear option they had discussed in their penthouse.
At 2:00 PM, while Julian was sitting in his newly assigned corner office reviewing property maintenance logs—finding dozens of instances where contractors had overcharged the company for basic HVAC repairs—the double glass doors swung open without a knock.
Two men in sharp gray suits strode into the office, accompanied by Beatrice. Behind them stood Richard, his arms crossed over his chest, a triumphant sneer playing on his lips.
"Can I help you?" Julian asked, not rising from his desk. He closed the maintenance ledger calmly.
The lead man in the gray suit stepped forward, dropping a thick stack of legal documents onto Julian’s polished mahogany desk. "Julian Vance? You are hereby served with an Emergency Petition for Temporary Restraining Order and a Preliminary Injunction filed in the Cook County Chancery Court."
Julian looked down at the cover page. In re: The Conservatorship and Mental Capacity of Arthur Kensington.
"What is this?" Julian asked.
"It means your little ride on the gravy train is officially over, Julian," Beatrice said, stepping forward with her chin tilted upward. Her designer sunglasses were pushed back onto her head, and her arrogance had returned in full force. "We have petitioned the court to freeze all executive appointments and trust transfers initiated over the last seven days. Our medical expert has submitted an affidavit stating there is probable cause to believe Grandfather is suffering from advanced vascular dementia."
"You are dragging your own grandfather into court to declare him mentally incompetent?" Julian’s voice dropped into a dangerous, icy register. "The man who built the roof over your head?"
"We are protecting the Kensington legacy from a predatory opportunist," Richard interjected smoothly. "The injunction requests an immediate suspension of your executive authority pending a full psychiatric evaluation of the Chairman. If you try to access company accounts, issue audit directives, or set foot on executive property tomorrow morning, you will be in contempt of court. You’re sidelined, grease monkey."
Julian slowly reached out, picking up the subpoena. He read through the legalese without a single flicker of intimidation. When he finished, he looked up at Beatrice and Richard.
"You really think a piece of paper is going to stop me?" Julian asked softly. "My dad worked forty years on the assembly line. Before he died, he told me that people who hide behind paper only do it because they’re terrified of what happens when you turn the lights on."
Julian pressed the intercom button on his desk. "Sarah? Please ask Chairman Kensington to step into my office. And ask legal counsel to join him."
Two minutes later, Arthur Kensington walked into the office, followed by Elena Rostova, the Consortium’s chief litigation attorney. Arthur looked at the subpoena on the desk, then at Beatrice.
"I see you chose the swamp, Beatrice," Arthur said quietly.
"We had no choice, Grandfather," Beatrice said, trying to maintain her defiant posture, though her voice shook slightly under his gaze. "You’re not thinking clearly. You’re destroying our birthright."
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Arthur turned to Elena Rostova. "Elena. File an immediate counter-motion for summary dismissal. And attach Exhibit B—the preliminary findings from Mr. Vance’s audit."
Arthur looked back at Richard with eyes that burned like live coals. "You think you can freeze me out of my own company, Richard? Let’s see how well your injunction holds up when the judge sees that you’ve been funneling acquisition funds into an offshore shell company registered in your wife's name."
