Chapter 13 - THE SURRENDER
On the third day, Julian walked into a police station in the nearest small town. Alone. Unarmed.
He asked for me.
We met in an interview room. He looked haggard. Unshaven. Defeated.
“You saved her,” Julian said quietly. “Nora told you.”
“She did,” I said. “You lost, Julian. Completely.”
He nodded slowly. “I always knew she would choose the girl over me. In the end… everyone chooses them.”
“Why?” I asked. “Seven years. Why destroy everything we built? Why hurt Sarah? Why hurt Lily?”
Julian looked up, eyes hollow. “Because your father promised the company to me. Before he died. He changed his will at the last minute. Left everything to you. I spent years building this with you… and you got it all simply because you were born his son. It was unfair. I decided to correct it.”
“So you burned a hospital. Stolen my wife. Drugged my child. All because of a will?”
“It was never just about the money,” Julian said. “It was about fairness. About what I deserved.”
“You deserved prison,” I said. “And that is exactly what you will get.”
Julian stood up. He smoothed his rumpled jacket.
“Take me away,” he told the officers waiting at the door. “And Ethan… take care of them. Because once this is public… others will come. People I paid. People I protected. They know your family is weak. They know you have secrets.”
May you like
He was led away. But his final warning lingered in the air.
Others were still out there.
