Chapter 7 - THE BOARDROOMThe Blackwood board meeting began at nine.
By nine fifteen, Julian had been removed as chairman.
By nine thirty, the federal investigation had been announced.
By ten, three banks had frozen accounts connected to Monarch Creative Solutions.
At eleven, Isabel hired a lawyer.
At noon, Julian finally understood the truth.
He was finished.
Not because Elena had destroyed him.
Because the empire he thought belonged to him had never truly belonged to him.
His father had built it.
His grandfather had protected it.
And Elena's family had been guarding the legal structure for generations.
Julian sat alone in the boardroom after everyone left.
I found him there.
“You won,” he said.
I shook my head.
“No.”
“You took everything.”
“No.”
He looked at me.
“Then what do you call this?”
“Consequences.”
He laughed.
“You always hated that word.”
“I hated what you did.”
He looked down.
“Do you still love me?”
I considered the question.
“No.”
His eyes closed.
I thought he would cry.
He didn't.
Instead, he whispered:
“I loved you.”
“I know.”
“I didn't mean for this to happen.”
“That doesn't matter.”
He looked up.
“Why?”
“Because people don't get to measure their guilt by what they intended.”
I walked toward the door.
He stopped me.
“Elena.”
I turned.
“What?”
“Does Harrison know?”
“No.”
“Will you tell him about me?”
I looked at him for a long moment.
“When he's old enough to understand.”
He nodded.
“And what will you tell him?”
I opened the door.
“That his father loved him.”
Julian looked stunned.
“You still say that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
May you like
“Because Harrison deserves one less lie.”
I left him alone.
