Chapter 4 - The Counter-Attack
The morning sun filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Julian’s oceanfront estate in the Hamptons, painting the room in soft hues of gold and pink. I woke up wrapped in thousand-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, in a bed larger than my entire old studio apartment. For a brief second, I thought the events of last night were a dream—until I looked at the nightstand and saw the velvet ring box resting beside a steaming cup of black coffee and a fresh croissant.
A handwritten note lay beside the mug: Take your time. Breakfast is downstairs. The war starts at 9:00 AM. - J.
I dressed quickly in the tailored clothes Julian’s staff had neatly set out for me—a cream knit sweater and dark trousers that fit as if they were made specifically for me. When I walked down the grand spiral staircase, I found Julian sitting at a massive mahogany conference desk in the library, two laptop screens glowing in front of him and a Bluetooth earpiece snapped onto his ear.
"No, sell the short positions now," Julian was saying into the earpiece, his tone cold and sharp. "If Thomas Bennett attempts to liquidate his commercial real estate in Stamford, block the transfer. He owes fifty million to our holding company. Every asset he owns is frozen."
He looked up, saw me standing at the door, and instantly his sharp expression softened. He tapped his earpiece to end the call. "Good morning, Claire. Did you sleep well?"
"Better than I have in six years," I admitted, walking over to the desk. "Is it... is it really starting?"
"It’s already begun," Julian said, turning one of the monitors toward me. "It’s 8:45 AM. Your father’s chief financial officer just received a formal notice of debt default. At 9:00 AM, if fifty thousand dollars plus six years of compounded interest—totaling ninety-two thousand dollars—is not returned to your personal bank account, the freeze on Bennett Enterprises becomes permanent."
Before I could reply, the heavy landline phone on Julian’s desk began to ring. The caller ID displayed: THOMAS BENNETT - CELL.
Julian looked at me, raising an eyebrow. "Do you want me to answer it, or do you want to?"
I took a deep breath, stepping around the desk. "Put it on speaker."
Julian pressed the button. Instantly, my father’s frantic, breathless voice filled the quiet library.
"Julian! Julian, please! I know you're with Claire!" Thomas was practically screaming, background noises suggesting he was driving at high speeds. "There's been a massive misunderstanding! The bank just locked our operating accounts! My payroll for two hundred employees is due at noon! If those funds don't clear, Bennett Enterprises goes into receivership by the end of the day!"
Julian leaned back in his leather chair, crossing his legs casually. "You have fifteen minutes, Thomas. Did you transfer Claire’s money?"
"I can't!" Thomas cried out, his voice cracking with desperation. "Ryan... Ryan spent the emergency cash reserves last night on a private jet to Las Vegas! He panicked after you left! He took the remaining liquid capital from the corporate treasury!"
I closed my eyes, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. Of course he did. Ryan had always been a parasite. The moment the ship started sinking, he didn't try to help save it; he stripped the brass off the walls and ran.
"That sounds like an internal corporate theft matter, Thomas," Julian said coldly. "Not my concern. Claire?"
Julian motioned for me to speak. I stepped closer to the microphone.
"Dad," I said, my voice steady and firm.
There was a sudden pause on the line. "Claire? Baby, please," Thomas begged, his tone shifting instantly into sickening fake affection. "Tell Mr. Mercer to give us a few days! We're family! I raised you! I gave you a home! You can't let him ruin your father over a small mistake from years ago!"
"A small mistake?" I yelled, the anger suppressed for six long years finally boiling over. "You let Mom accuse me of grand larceny! You forced me to sign a confession! I spent my nineteenth birthday working a sixteen-hour shift at a diner while Ryan was at a fraternity party in Miami! You destroyed my future, Dad! You traded my entire life for Ryan’s comfort!"
"He is your brother!" Thomas yelled back, dropping the loving facade in an instant. "He is the heir to this family line! You were just a girl! You were supposed to support this family, not tear it down!"
"Then the heir just ruined you," I said coldly. "You have twelve minutes, Dad. I suggest you start liquidating your personal assets. Goodbye."
I reached down and slammed the disconnect button, cutting off his panicked screams.
The library fell into dead silence. My heart was pounding against my ribs like a trapped bird. Julian stood up slowly from his chair, walked around the desk, and pulled me into his arms. He didn't say a word; he just held me tightly while my chest heaved with heavy, cathartic breaths.
"You did incredible," Julian whispered against my hair.
"It’s not over," I murmured into his chest. "My mother... she won't go down without a fight. She’ll try to spin this to the media. She’ll ruin my name publicly before she lets the Bennett name fall."
Julian pulled back slightly, a dark, dangerous smile playing on his lips. "Let her try. In fact, I’m counting on it. We’re holding a press conference at Mercer Tower at three o'clock today to officially announce our engagement."
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I looked up at him in surprise. "A press conference?"
"Yes," Julian said, his dark eyes glowing with lethal intelligence. "Your mother thinks she controls the narrative. Today, we show the entire world the truth."
