Chapter 6 - The Sabotage
Two months passed.
To the public, Julian and Ava were the ultimate power couple. The media was obsessed with the Cinderella story of the billionaire and the beautiful event coordinator. Julian’s European merger was proceeding flawlessly, bolstered by the board’s approval of his "stable" personal life.
In private, they were a raging fire. They spent their nights tangled in the silk sheets of his massive bed, whispering secrets in the dark. Julian was protective, fiercely loyal, and hopelessly addicted to her. Ava had found her voice again, running a new charity division at Vance Global, proving her brilliance to the world.
But Damian Cross wasn’t finished.
Jobless, blacklisted from every major financial firm in the city, and dumped by Victoria Langford, Damian had hit rock bottom. And he blamed Ava.
It happened on a Tuesday. Julian was in Chicago finalizing the merger. Ava was leaving a charity luncheon at a downtown restaurant. She stepped into the quiet alleyway to wait for her driver when a hand violently grabbed her arm, yanking her into the shadows.
Ava gasped, struggling, but Damian slammed her against the brick wall.
He looked deranged. His designer suit was wrinkled, his eyes bloodshot, smelling heavily of stale liquor.
“Damian, let me go!” Ava shouted, her heart hammering in panic.
“You ruined my life!” Damian spat, his grip bruising her arm. “You think you won? You think you’re actually a billionaire’s wife? I know the truth, Ava. I have a friend who works at Vance’s legal firm. I know about the contract. I know he’s paying you five million dollars to be his fake little trophy!”
Ava’s blood ran cold.
“I’m going to the press,” Damian sneered, pulling out his phone. “I’m going to leak the contract. The European board will see it. Vance’s merger will collapse. He’ll lose billions, and he’ll throw you out on the street exactly where you belong!”
“Don’t do this, Damian,” Ava pleaded, not for herself, but for Julian. Julian had worked for two years on this merger. It was his crown jewel.
“Give me two million dollars,” Damian demanded, pressing his forearm against her collarbone. “Wire it to me by midnight, or I destroy everything.”
Suddenly, Damian was ripped backward with such violent force that he crashed into the opposite wall.
Ava stumbled, gasping for air, and looked up.
Julian’s head of security, a massive former Marine named Marcus, had Damian pinned by the throat against the brickwork. Behind Marcus stood Julian Vance.
He wasn’t supposed to be back until tomorrow. But Julian was standing in the alley, his eyes black with a murderous rage that made the air feel freezing cold.
“You touched her,” Julian whispered. The quietness of his voice was far more terrifying than a shout.
Julian walked slowly toward Damian. Marcus stepped back, letting Damian slide down the wall, gasping for breath.
Julian crouched down to Damian’s level. “Did you really think a first-year paralegal at my law firm could access my private contracts without triggering a security alert? I’ve known you had the document for three days, Cross. I flew back early just to see how stupid you actually were.”
Damian trembled, sobbing now. “Please, Mr. Vance... please...”
“I took your job. You didn’t learn,” Julian said coldly. “Now, I take everything.”
Julian stood up, adjusting his cuffs. “Marcus. Call the police. Mr. Cross here just attempted extortion, assault, and corporate blackmail. Make sure the DA pushes for the maximum sentence. Twenty years in a federal penitentiary should give him time to reflect.”
“Julian, no! Please!” Damian screamed as Marcus dragged him away in handcuffs.
Julian ignored him. He turned to Ava, the murderous rage instantly vanishing from his eyes. He rushed to her, pulling her into a desperate, crushing embrace, burying his face in her neck.
“Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?” Julian asked frantically, his massive hands trembling as he checked her arms for injuries.
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“I’m okay,” Ava cried, holding onto his lapels tightly. “I’m okay, Julian. I’m just so sorry about the merger.”
Julian pulled back, looking at her as if she were crazy. “The merger? Ava, I would burn my entire company to the ground before I let anyone lay a finger on you. You are the only thing that matters.”
