Chapter 4 - The Blackmail Illusion
Julian thought he was the smartest man in Chicago.
Six months ago, Julian, the chief financial officer of Marcus’s billion-dollar real estate empire, had orchestrated a massive, highly sophisticated embezzlement scheme. He had siphoned hundreds of millions of dollars into offshore accounts, meticulously framing Marcus for the entire operation.
With forged documents and falsified ledgers, Julian had gone to Marcus with an ultimatum: allow Julian to take over the company as CEO and give him Elena’s hand in marriage to solidify his status in high society, or Julian would hand the "evidence" over to the FBI.
Julian had promised that Marcus would die in a federal prison, and Elena would be left penniless.
To save her father, Elena had agreed to the engagement. Julian believed he had completely broken her spirit. He thought she was a weak, submissive trophy who would silently endure his cruel insults and physical abuse just to protect her family’s legacy.
He didn't realize that Elena was her father's daughter.
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She hadn't spent the last six months planning a wedding. She had spent the last six months living in Julian’s penthouse, pretending to be a terrified victim, while secretly hunting for the encrypted master ledger that proved Julian was the real mastermind.
👉 What happened earlier that morning to cause the violent bruise on her face?
