Chapter 13 - THE ALLIANCE OF RUIN
Across town, in the shadowed corner of an exclusive hotel lounge, Julian sat over an empty glass of scotch.
Chloe Davenport arrived twenty minutes late, her designer sunglasses failing to hide the anxiety in her eyes.
"The board revoked my sponsorship contract this morning, Julian," Chloe snapped, dropping into the leather booth.
"Every luxury brand I represent has pulled their marketing deals."
Julian barely looked up, his bloodshot eyes fixed on his trembling hands.
"She took everything, Chloe," Julian muttered hoarsely.
"The bank accounts, the sports cars, the offshore trusts... all gone within twelve hours."
"Then do something about it!" Chloe hissed, leaning over the table.
"You were the CEO of Vance Logistics for nearly a decade!"
"There are contracts you signed that don't belong to the Sterling umbrella."
Julian looked up slowly, a dark realization flickering behind his exhaustion.
"The Cross maritime agreement," Julian whispered.
"Jonathan Cross?" Chloe asked, lowering her voice cautiously.
"Yes," Julian said, straightening his posture for the first time all day.
"Three years ago, Jonathan Cross approached me to route unmanifested cargo through our southern docks."
"Clara’s father had strict moral prohibitions against working with the Cross Syndicate."
"Did Clara ever find those files?" Chloe asked, her breath catching.
"No," Julian sneered, a venomous smile returning to his thin lips.
"Those sub-contracts were sealed under my private offshore shell company in the Cayman Islands."
"If Jonathan Cross finds out that Clara has locked down the shipping terminals, he will lose hundreds of millions."
"And Cross doesn't sue people in court," Chloe murmured with an icy smile.
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"He destroys them," Julian agreed, draining the last drop of liquor from his glass.
"Let us see how the proud heiress survives when the underworld comes collecting her debts."
