Chapter 6 - Blood and Boardrooms
The retaliation was swift and merciless. But it wasn't from Richard; it was from Julian.
Having declared his intentions at the gala, Julian launched a massive, coordinated corporate strike against his own family members. He knew that to keep Lily safe, he had to strip his enemies of their power and their capital.
Working out of his penthouse, Julian initiated hostile takeovers of the subsidiary shell companies Richard and Marcus used to launder their personal wealth. He systematically fired every board member who had been loyal to his late grandfather, replacing them with independent directors loyal only to the bottom line—and to him.
"You're bleeding them dry, sir," Silas noted, reviewing the stock charts on Julian’s monitors. "Richard’s personal portfolio is down sixty percent in three days."
"I want him destitute," Julian replied, not looking up from his keyboard. "I want him to feel exactly how Elena felt when they threw her onto the street. I want him to know what it is to be hungry."
While Julian waged his financial war, Lily was thriving. She had tutors, a massive playroom, and a growing confidence. She began to laugh—a bright, musical sound that filled the sterile penthouse with warmth. She called him "Papa" for the first time while they were eating breakfast, causing Julian to drop his coffee mug in sheer, overwhelming joy.
But desperate men do desperate things.
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By pushing Richard into a corner, Julian had inadvertently triggered a ticking time bomb. Stripped of his wealth and facing impending SEC investigations thanks to Julian’s leaks, Richard realized that the boardroom was no longer a viable battlefield.
He needed leverage. He needed the one thing Julian valued more than his empire.
