Chapter 14 - The Currency of Guilt
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Julian’s face contorted into a mask of pure, desperate rage. He realized that the old tactics—the guilt, the volume, the aggressive entitlement—were completely failing to penetrate my armor. He suddenly shifted his strategy, his voice dropping into a pathetic, whining plea.
"Arthur, please," Julian begged, his hands trembling slightly as he reached out toward me. "I'm broke. I work maintaining bowling lanes for minimum wage. I live in a miserable apartment. You have an entire empire here! Just give me a job. Give me a small stipend. A million dollars is nothing to you! It would change my whole life!"
I looked at him, feeling a profound sense of pity, but absolutely no sympathy.
"You want a million dollars?" I asked softly.
Julian nodded frantically, his eyes lighting up with greedy hope. "Yes! Just a small cut of what you built. I'm your brother. It's the right thing to do."
"The right thing to do," I repeated, a cold smile touching my lips, "would have been to stand by me ten years ago when I needed my family. The right thing to do would have been to treat me with an ounce of basic human respect. You don't want a relationship, Julian. You want a payout."
"You're going to let your own brother starve?" he hissed, the aggressive edge returning to his voice instantly.
"You are a grown man. If you are starving, I suggest you work harder at the bowling alley," I replied smoothly.
I turned my back on him, signaling to Marcus with a subtle nod of my head.
"This conversation is over. If you ever set foot in this building again, or attempt to contact me, my legal team will bury you in harassment charges so deep you will never see daylight."
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"You can't do this!" Julian screamed as Marcus and another guard firmly grabbed his arms and began dragging him toward the revolving doors. "I'll ruin you, Arthur! I'll tell the press! I'll tell the whole world what a monster you are!"
"Tell them whatever you like," I said without looking back, stepping into the elevator. "They already know exactly who I am."
