Chapter 16 - The Desperate Aftermath
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The weekend passed in a blur of terrifying, absolute silence from Julian.
By Monday morning, my phone began to ring incessantly. Julian left twenty-four voicemails in the span of six hours. His tone shifted wildly from tearful, pathetic begging to furious, irrational threats, and back to desperate pleading.
I didn't answer a single one. I simply forwarded all the audio files directly to Eleanor Vance.
"He's unraveling perfectly," Eleanor told me over the phone on Tuesday afternoon. "His lawyers tried to file a motion to lift the asset freeze, but the judge took one look at the offshore transfer records and laughed them out of chambers. He is legally paralyzed."
"What about the house?" I asked, looking around my quiet living room.
"I filed an emergency order for exclusive occupancy," Eleanor confirmed. "He is legally barred from entering the property without police supervision to retrieve his personal items. You and Leo are completely secure."
On Wednesday, Julian finally showed up at the house, escorted by two uniformed police officers.
I stood on the front porch, arms crossed, watching him walk up the driveway. He looked horrific. He was unshaven, wearing wrinkled clothes, and his eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep. He carried two large trash bags.
He didn't look at me as he walked past to pack his clothes. He spent twenty minutes gathering his suits, his golf clubs, and his expensive watches, while the officers watched his every move.
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When he finally walked back out, lugging the trash bags, he stopped at the bottom of the porch stairs.
"Claire," Julian rasped, his voice broken. "Can I at least see Leo? Can I say goodbye to my son?"
