Chapter 6 - The Vanishing Ink
Julian stared at the blank piece of paper, rubbing his eyes as if he were hallucinating.
"What is this magic trick? This is impossible!" Julian screamed, frantically flipping the paper over.
My father let out a booming laugh that filled the entire grand ballroom.
"It is called thermal-degrading ink, you absolute imbecile," my father explained with a wicked grin.
"Three years ago, I sent an undercover auditor to work in your house to keep an eye on my daughter," he revealed.
I gasped, my mind instantly flashing back to the kindly, quiet woman who cooked our meals.
Mrs. Martha, our sweet housekeeper, stepped out from the crowd of elite guests wearing a sharp business suit.
Julian staggered backward, pointing a shaking finger at the woman who used to iron his shirts.
"You switched the pens in my office," Julian realized, his voice hollow with total defeat.
"I switched a lot more than just the pens, Mr. Cross," Martha replied with a confident smirk.
"I also copied your hard drives, recorded your illegal offshore transfers, and forwarded everything to the SEC," she stated proudly.
Julian was completely trapped in a web that my father had been weaving for years.
Every single backup plan, every piece of leverage he thought he had, was entirely fabricated.
The crowd of investors began to applaud, amused by the ruthless display of billionaire power.
Julian looked around like a cornered rat, realizing there was no way out of this room with his freedom intact.
"You set me up! This is entrapment!" Julian yelled, backing away toward the emergency exit.
"It isn't entrapment when you commit the crimes willingly, Julian," I told him, stepping forward.
I felt a surge of incredible strength, finally shedding the weak, obedient persona I had worn for three years.
Julian realized he had absolutely nothing left to lose, and his eyes went completely dead.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, heavy black device with a glowing red button.
The security guards immediately drew their weapons, aiming directly at Julian's chest.
"Nobody move!" Julian screamed, holding his thumb dangerously close to the trigger.
"This is a dead-man's switch connected to the Apex Group's main servers," Julian bluffed, sweating profusely.
My father raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by the desperate theatrics.
"You don't have access to my servers, you pathetic worm," my father scoffed.
May you like
Julian smiled, a deranged, psychotic grin spreading across his face.
"I don't need access, Arthur, because Chloe planted a digital bomb in your system before she left my house tonight."
