Chapter 16 - THE SECOND BETRAYAL
The investigators had followed Elena for twenty-three days.
They photographed her entering a fertility clinic.
Meeting Nathan.
Visiting a private bank.
Having lunch with two Sterling board members.
Nothing scandalous happened.
That had apparently been the problem.
Someone wanted scandal and received ordinary life.
Then the investigation ended suddenly.
Julian read every page.
Elena refused to.
“I lived it.”
They were sitting in a private conference room after everyone else left.
“You should know what they recorded.”
“No.”
“Elena.”
“I spent years allowing people to tell me what I should know.”
Julian stopped.
She looked at him.
“Who hired them?”
“The contract was approved through Chloe’s office.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
“The invoice authorization bears Robert’s digital signature.”
Elena stared.
“Your uncle.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“You really don’t know anything about your own family, do you?”
Julian looked away.
Once, that sentence would have made him furious.
Now it felt deserved.
Elena folded her arms.
“Robert hated me.”
“He distrusted you.”
“Because I questioned the logistics acquisition.”
“He wanted it.”
“It would have cost the company hundreds of millions.”
“I know.”
“Does he know about the bloodline trust?”
“Yes.”
Elena’s face changed.
Julian saw the same thought.
“If I gave you a child, Robert’s influence over family shares would eventually shrink.”
“Yes.”
“And if I was infertile…”
“His side of the family remained stronger.”
Elena sat down slowly.
“So Chloe’s version of my fertility problem benefited him.”
Julian nodded.
“Potentially.”
“And Chloe received money through companies.”
“Yes.”
“From Sterling Global.”
“Yes.”
“Approved by Robert.”
“Some of it.”
The room became silent.
Elena looked sick.
“This wasn’t just an affair.”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“No.”
“It was corporate.”
“Yes.”
She laughed bitterly.
“I thought I lost my marriage because you fell in love with a younger woman.”
“I don’t know if I ever loved Chloe.”
“That is not comforting.”
“I know.”
Elena rubbed her temples.
“They pushed me out because I was asking questions.”
“Yes.”
“And you helped them.”
Julian closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
That answer mattered.
No excuse.
No defense.
No claim that Chloe manipulated him completely.
Julian had made choices.
Elena looked at him.
“You finally understand.”
“I do.”
“No.”
Her voice softened.
“You understand the facts.”
Julian opened his eyes.
“That isn’t the same as understanding what it did to me.”
He said nothing.
Elena stood.
“I lost my home.”
“I know.”
“My job.”
“I know.”
“My reputation.”
“I know.”
“My marriage.”
He swallowed.
“Yes.”
“And when I found out I was pregnant, I was terrified to tell the father because I thought he would assume I was running a scheme.”
Julian’s eyes dropped.
Elena’s voice trembled.
“That is what you did to me.”
“I know.”
“No.”
She wiped a tear angrily.
“You don’t get to say you know.”
Julian did not move.
“You get to live with the fact that you made the woman carrying your child afraid of you.”
The words struck harder than anything Chloe had done.
Julian lowered his head.
Elena walked toward the door.
“Elena.”
She stopped.
“I’m not asking you to forgive me.”
“Good.”
“I’m asking for the chance to become someone Alexander doesn’t need protection from.”
Elena remained still.
Then she looked back.
“That decision will be made by what you do next.”
May you like
The next morning, Julian called an emergency board meeting.
And declared war on his own family.
