Chapter 5 - The Groom's Proposition
I stepped out of the bathroom, leaving Olivia to deal with her spiraling reality, and began walking down the long, carpeted hallway toward the exit.
I just wanted to call an Uber, go back to my quiet loft, and order a massive pizza to celebrate my independence properly.
As I rounded the corner near the coat check, a heavy hand grabbed my elbow, pulling me roughly into a small, dimly lit alcove.
I yanked my arm away instantly, my heart pounding, only to see Julian standing there, smelling heavily of bourbon and expensive cigars.
“Whoa, easy there, valedictorian,” Julian slurred, holding his hands up in a mocking gesture of surrender with a sleazy smile on his face.
“What do you want, Julian?” I demanded, taking a step back and ensuring I had a clear path to run back to the lobby if necessary.
“I just wanted to congratulate my brilliant new sister-in-law,” he said, leaning against the wall and looking me up and down with disgusting obviousness.
“Your dad told me you were a struggling humanities major who begged him for rent money every single month.”
“My father is a pathological liar, which you and your parents are clearly starting to figure out tonight,” I replied coldly, crossing my arms.
Julian chuckled, a dark, cynical sound that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up in immediate warning.
“Oh, I know he's broke, Maya, but I didn't care because I thought I was getting the only successful daughter in the deal.”
He took a step closer, lowering his voice into a conspiratorial whisper that made my stomach churn with absolute revulsion.
“Listen, your dad is useless, but a Lead Architect at Nova Tech? That is a very powerful, very useful position in this city.”
I stared at him, my analytical brain rapidly calculating the implications of his words and the desperate greed in his eyes.
“My investment firm is looking for insider algorithms, Maya, the kind of predictive AI models that Nova Tech is currently developing for the market.”
“Are you seriously trying to ask me to commit corporate espionage at my new job on your wedding night?” I asked, utterly bewildered by his audacity.
“I’m offering you a side hustle,” Julian corrected smoothly, reaching out to touch a strand of my hair before I swatted his hand away violently.
“I will give you twenty percent of whatever profit my firm makes off the data, and in return, I won't tell Olivia that you tried to come onto me tonight.”
May you like
I stared at the pathetic, greedy man my sister had just legally bound herself to, feeling a mixture of disgust and absolute triumph.
Without saying a single word, I pulled my phone out of my clutch, pressed stop on the voice recording app I had secretly activated in the bathroom, and walked away.
