Chapter 7: The Ledger of Lies
The standoff in the living room lasted for an hour. Julian kept glancing toward the study, his confidence beginning to fray as he realized Damon wasn't playing the game of threats anymore. He was holding a folder—the ledger Damon had been building, filled with dates, bank transfers, and photographic evidence of Julian’s manipulations.
“You think you can just hand this to the police?” Julian asked, his voice losing its jovial edge, replaced by the grating, sharp sound of panic. “My name is on the title of half these offshore accounts. You take me down, you take down the family name. The bankruptcy, the scandal—it’ll ruin Eli’s future more than my absence ever could.”
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Damon walked down the stairs, one step at a time, his presence looming large. “Eli doesn't care about the name. Eli cares about being able to walk down the hallway without shivering. You underestimated him, and you underestimated me.”
Damon dropped the folder on the coffee table. The thud was final. “You have one hour to disappear. If I see your face in this state by sunset, I’m not calling the police. I’m calling the people you’ve been robbing.” Julian’s face went pale. He knew exactly what that meant. Without another word, he turned and fled, the sound of his tires peeling away on the gravel signaling the end of his reign.
