Chapter 5 - The Final WalkoutThe security guards—the very same men who had followed Julian's orders less than twenty-four hours ago—didn't hesitate for a single second. They stepped forward, their broad shoulders blocking Julian's path to the elevator.
"Get your hands off me!" Julian roared, shoving the first guard away in a blind panic. "I am the CEO! You can't touch me! Harrison, tell them! Tell these idiots who I am!"
Harrison Cole didn't even look up from his tablet. He simply adjusted his glasses and took a sip of his coffee.
The guards grabbed Julian by both arms, pinning him securely despite his frantic, undignified thrashing. They dragged him backward down the length of the ebony boardroom table.
"Elena! You can't do this to me!" Julian screamed, his voice echoing off the glass windows as they hauled him toward the double doors. "I made this brand! I made you rich! You're nothing without me! You hear me?! You're NOTHING!"
His desperate cries faded down the hallway as the heavy mahogany doors slammed shut, cutting off his voice entirely.
The boardroom descended into a profound, peaceful silence.
My father leaned back in his chair, a rare, approving smile touching the corners of his mouth. He looked at me with deep pride.
"Well handled, Elena," my father murmured. "You showed remarkable restraint."
"Restraint was the hardest part, Dad," I replied, exhaling a breath I felt like I'd been holding for a decade.
I turned to face the remaining members of the board of directors, who were sitting up straight, their expressions entirely professional and attentive.
"Now," I said, stepping into Julian’s old place at the head of the table and resting my hands on the dark wood. "Let's get back to work. We have a resort to restructure, and I want every single department audit completed by sundown."
Down in the grand lobby, the scene was one of utter chaos.
Chloe had been lounging in the VIP lounge, sipping mimosas and waiting for Julian to return with news of my total defeat, when two security guards approached her with a large black industrial trash bag.
"Excuse me, ma'am," the head security guard said coldly. "You need to vacate the premises immediately."
Chloe blinked in stunned outrage, standing up from her plush velvet chair. "Do you know who I am?! I am a guest of the CEO! My boyfriend is Julian Sterling!"
"Mr. Sterling no longer has any authority in this building," the guard replied expressionlessly. "And you are trespassing."
Before Chloe could scream, a female staff member stepped forward, holding out her hand. "Also, ma'am... the cashmere coat and the emerald pendant. Please place them in the bag. They are the personal property of Ms. Vance."
"Are you insane?!" Chloe shrieked, clutching the coat tightly around her shoulders. "This was a gift! You can't touch me—I'll call the police!"
"The police are already outside, ma'am," the guard pointed toward the glass doors.
Sure enough, parked right in front of the grand entrance were two local patrol cars, their red and blue lights flashing silently against the bright morning sun. Two officers stood by the revolving doors, waiting to serve eviction and trespassing notices.
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Humiliated, red-faced, and shaking with helpless fury, Chloe ripped the cashmere coat from her shoulders, dropped it into the trash bag along with the vintage emerald pendant, and stormed out of the revolving doors past a lobby full of staring, whispering guests.
The illusion of Julian’s grand empire had completely vanished in less than twelve hours.
