Chapter 7 - The Vane Connection
The office was high up.
Glass and steel.
Marcus Vane sat behind the desk.
He didn't look up.
Julian waited.
The silence stretched.
Ten minutes.
Twenty.
Finally, Marcus looked.
His eyes were cold.
Calculated.
“Julian Thorne,” he said.
“Disgraced.”
“Broken.”
“Why are you here?”
Julian pulled out the laptop.
He pushed it across the desk.
“I have the ledger.”
Marcus didn't move.
“That’s a lie.”
“It’s the truth.”
Marcus leaned forward.
He opened the file.
He scanned the rows.
His jaw tightened.
He looked at Julian.
“Where did you get this?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It matters to me.”
Julian didn't blink.
“I want the Thorne empire.”
“And you want revenge.”
“A partnership.”
Marcus laughed.
It was a dark, dry sound.
“A partnership?”
“You’re a child.”
“I’m the only one who knows the keys.”
Julian leaned in.
“Arthur thinks I’m a beggar.”
“He’s not watching me.”
“He’s watching you.”
Marcus froze.
He looked at the door.
Then back to Julian.
“What’s the play?”
“The Foundation.”
“The money is there.”
“If we freeze it…”
“The whole structure falls.”
Marcus considered it.
He tapped his chin.
“It’s dangerous.”
“Life is dangerous.”
“True.”
Marcus stood up.
He held out a hand.
“Welcome to the board, Julian.”
Julian took it.
The handshake was firm.
Cold.
It was done.
The war had begun.
But he felt a chill.
He was working with a viper.
To kill a dragon.
He had to be careful.
May you like
He was playing with fire.
And he was the fuel.
