Chapter 6 - THE FINAL DAY BEGINS
Friday morning arrived under a dark, stormy sky over Houston. Heavy rain drummed against the glass windows of Bell & Rose as I stood in my office, fastening a sleek black blazer over my tailored dress.
My short hair was pristine, holding a sharp, elegant line that framed my jaw.
At 9:00 AM, my phone rang. It was Rachel Kim.
"Elena, it's done," Rachel announced, her voice crackling with triumph over the speaker. "Federal marshals just served Richard Mercer with a racketeering and fraud indictment in front of fifty people at the Oakridge Country Club."
"How did he react?" I asked, looking out at the rain.
"He threw a tantrum, tried to blame Julian for everything, and then his own lawyers told him to shut up," Rachel chuckled. "Mercer's legal team is already offering to relinquish all claims on your aunt's properties if the DA drops the conspiracy charges."
"Tell them no deal," I replied firmly. "He goes down with Julian."
"I knew you'd say that," Rachel smiled. "Now, what about your husband?"
"Julian's court hearing for the emergency financial freeze and protective order is at two o'clock today," I said, checking my watch. "I'll be there."
"Be careful, Elena," Rachel warned. "Julian knows he's facing total financial and personal ruin. He has nothing left to lose."
"He lost the moment he put scissors to my hair," I said softly, hanging up.
At 1:30 PM, I arrived at the Harris County Civil Courthouse. The massive stone building stood imposing against the gray skyline, bustling with lawyers, reporters, and officers.
As I walked up the marble steps, holding a sleek leather briefcase, a disheveled figure stepped out from behind one of the stone pillars.
It was Julian.
He looked hollow. His suit was wrinkled and stained at the cuff, his hair was messy, and dark, bruised circles shadowed his eyes. He didn't look like the confident, arrogant executive who had laughed at me five days ago. He looked like a ghost.
"Elena," he rasped, stepping into my path.
My two private security guards immediately stepped forward, blocking him, but I raised my hand, signaling them to wait.
"Hello, Julian," I said, my voice cool and unbothered.
Julian stared at me, his eyes dropping to my short, perfectly styled hair, then to my tailored suit, then to the calm confidence radiating from my face.
"You ruined me," he whispered, his voice trembling with a mixture of rage and pathetic grief. "You destroyed my career. You put Vanessa in jail. You ruined the Mercer deal. Everything I worked for... gone."
I stepped closer to him, looking down into his sunken eyes.
"You didn't work for any of it, Julian," I told him quietly. "You stole it. You stole from me, you stole from my family, and you thought I was too weak to fight back."
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"I was your husband!" he suddenly shouted, his voice cracking, attracting the attention of several passing attorneys on the steps. "Fourteen years, Elena! You threw fourteen years away over some money and an affair?!"
I let out a soft, bitter laugh. "You didn't lose fourteen years over money, Julian. You lost it the second you wrapped your fist in my hair and dropped it at my feet."
