Chapter 4 - The Boardroom Backlash
The Vance Global boardroom was a theater of war, overlooking the sprawling Chicago skyline. When Julian walked in, the room fell dead silent. His uncle, Richard Vance, sat at the opposite end of the table, wearing a smug, aristocratic sneer.
"Julian," Richard drawled. "So kind of you to join us. We were beginning to think you had lost your mind. Rumor has it you’ve taken in a street urchin."
"She is not an urchin, Richard," Julian said, his voice dropping the temperature in the room by ten degrees. He tossed a thick legal binder onto the mahogany table. "Her name is Lily Vance. A DNA test has confirmed she is my biological daughter. I have officially legally claimed her, and she is now the sole beneficiary of my estate."
The board members erupted in murmurs. Richard’s face flushed purple.
"This is absurd!" Richard slammed his hand on the table. "You cannot unilaterally alter the line of succession! The Vance trust stipulates that the board must vet any heir to ensure the stability of the company. A child born out of wedlock to some gold-digging tramp—"
In a flash of movement so fast no one saw it coming, Silas grabbed Richard by the back of the neck, slamming his face onto the polished wood of the table.
"Silas, release him," Julian ordered, his voice dangerously calm. Silas stepped back, leaving Richard gasping for air.
Julian leaned over the table, staring directly into his uncle’s panicked eyes. "You will never speak of Elena that way again. I know what you and my grandfather did to her. I have the wire transfers. I have the intimidation logs."
Richard wiped a drop of blood from his nose, his eyes darting nervously.
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"If any of you," Julian addressed the entire board, his gaze sweeping the room like a sniper’s laser, "attempt to undermine my daughter, or challenge her legitimacy, I will not just fire you. I will legally and financially obliterate you. This meeting is adjourned."
Julian walked out, leaving the titans of industry trembling in his wake. The war had officially begun.
