Chapter 13 - Breaking the Traitor
David Sterling sat nervously in Julian’s private office, his eyes darting around the room as if expecting the walls to close in. Julian stood by the massive floor-to-ceiling window, looking out over the city skyline, letting the silence stretch until it became suffocating. When he finally turned, his expression was unreadable.
"David, we've known each other for ten years," Julian began, his voice dangerously soft. "You helped me build this empire. I trusted you with my livelihood, my secrets, and my family."
David swallowed hard, adjusting his tie. "Of course, Julian. And I value that trust immensely. Is this about the divorce settlement? I can start moving the capital—"
Julian slammed a thick manila folder onto the desk with the force of a gunshot. David jumped in his seat. "This is about the blind trust in the Cayman Islands, David. The one you’ve been secretly funding for the past eight months. The one controlled by my wife."
The color instantly drained from David's face. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Julian opened the folder, spreading out the high-resolution surveillance photos of David leaving Elena's secret apartment, alongside the bank routing numbers Marcus had decrypted.
"You set up the hidden cameras in my home," Julian stated, moving closer until he was looming over the terrified executive. "You watched my daughter cry. You orchestrated a hostile takeover of my life for a cut of the settlement."
"Julian, please, she forced me!" David pleaded, his voice breaking into a pathetic whine. "She found out about some bad investments I made! She blackmailed me!"
May you like
"I don't care about your excuses," Julian cut him off coldly. "You have two choices, David. Option one: I hand this folder to the FBI right now, and you spend the next twenty years in federal prison for wire fraud, embezzlement, and corporate espionage. Option two: you do exactly what I say for the next twenty-four hours, and you help me destroy her."
David was shaking uncontrollably, tears welling in his eyes. He looked at the incriminating evidence and then at the ruthless, unyielding face of his boss. "What do you want me to do?"
