Chapter 21 - The Man in the Elevator Lobby
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I stared at the security monitor mounted on my penthouse hallway wall.
The rain outside beat against the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, creating a soft, rhythmic hum that contrasted sharply with the sudden pounding in my chest. On the screen, Julian Vance stood calmly in the private elevator lobby, holding a sleek black leather briefcase.
He didn't look like a process server or a low-rent lawyer. He wore a bespoke charcoal suit, a silver tie pin, and possessed the posture of a man who managed billions without ever raising his voice.
I reached out and pressed the intercom button.
"How did you get access to my private elevator, Mr. Vance?" I asked, my voice steady and professional.
Julian looked up directly into the camera lens, a faint, polite smile touching the corners of his lips.
"Your building's board chairman was a personal client of Arthur Mercer, Mrs. Miller," Julian replied smoothly through the speaker. "He recognized my firm’s name immediately. I assure you, I am not here to cause a disturbance. I am here to deliver what your late father-in-law left behind."
I hesitated for three seconds. Then, I tapped the door release button.
The heavy glass doors of the elevator lobby clicked unlocked. A moment later, Julian walked into my penthouse entryway, stepping off the polished hardwood floor onto the silk area rug. He took off his wet raincoat, folded it neatly over his arm, and gave me a respectful nod.
"Thank you for seeing me, Emma," he said softly. "Or would you prefer Ms. Miller?"
"Emma is fine," I said, leaning against the marble kitchen island with my arms crossed over my chest. "Start talking, Mr. Vance. What did Daniel do?"
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Julian set his leather briefcase flat on the island counter, popping the gold locks open with two sharp clicks.
"It’s not what Daniel did, Emma," Julian said, looking me dead in the eye. "It’s what Arthur Mercer set up before his heart gave out four years ago. Your ex-husband didn't create that Cayman Islands account. His father did."
