Chapter 6 - The Eviction
Julian’s arms tightened around his trembling daughter, shielding her small body from the sudden, icy chill of the room. The sprawling glass walls of the solarium, once a symbol of his architectural triumph and a beacon of their lavish lifestyle, now felt like a fragile, transparent cage. Elena stood perfectly still, her expensive silk gown catching the pale moonlight, her face a carefully constructed mask of calculated innocence. "Julian, darling, you're overreacting. She’s a child, prone to dramatics and wild imagination," Elena said smoothly, taking a deliberate, measured step forward.
Julian held up a hand, his voice deathly quiet but laced with an undeniable, lethal authority. "Stop right there. Do not take another step toward her."
Elena’s meticulously sculpted eyebrows narrowed, the flawless facade cracking just enough to reveal the absolute, chilling void beneath. "Excuse me? I am your wife. I am the lady of this estate. This is my home too."
"Not anymore," Julian replied, the words tasting like ash but feeling undeniably right. "I want you out. Tonight. Pack whatever fits in a single suitcase and leave. My private security team will box up the rest of your things tomorrow and have them sent wherever you end up."
A harsh, mocking laugh escaped Elena’s painted lips. "You can’t possibly be serious. You are throwing me out into the night over a spoiled brat's crocodile tears? We have prenuptial agreements, Julian. We have shared corporate assets. You can't just banish me like a common servant."
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"I just did," Julian said, his gaze unwavering and cold. "You have exactly twenty minutes. After that, I’m calling the police and reporting a hostile trespasser. And hear me well, Elena: if I find out you’ve laid a hand on her, or if you ever dare to threaten her again, a messy divorce will be the absolute least of your problems."
He didn't wait for her venomous response. Julian turned his back on the woman he had foolishly thought he loved, carrying Lily up the grand, sweeping staircase to the impenetrable safety of his master suite. He locked the heavy oak door, immediately dialing his head of security. The oblivious, trusting architect was gone. The brutal war for his daughter's survival had just begun.
