Chapter 5 - The Truth About Our EngagementJulian agreed to meet.
We chose a public restaurant.
He looked different.
Tired.
Older.
I sat across from him.
“You have ten minutes.”
He nodded.
“I deserve that.”
“You deserve prison.”
“I know.”
He looked down.
“I didn't start the plan.”
“My father did?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Before our engagement ended.”
I stared at him.
“What?”
“Your father approached me.”
“Why?”
“To convince me to marry you.”
My stomach twisted.
“What?”
“He wanted access to your company.”
“That makes no sense.”
“At the time, Northstar was smaller.”
“But still valuable.”
Julian looked ashamed.
“He wanted me to influence you.”
I remembered every argument.
Every time Julian told me I was too ambitious.
Every time he suggested I sell part of the company.
Every time he said I needed someone who understood business.
It hadn't been random.
It had been strategy.
“Did you ever love me?”
He looked at me.
“Yes.”
I didn't believe him.
He continued.
“At first, I did.”
“And later?”
“I chose money.”
Silence.
“Why did you leave?”
“Because you started becoming too successful.”
That sentence hurt more than I expected.
“You couldn't handle it.”
“No.”
He shook his head.
“I couldn't handle knowing you were becoming more powerful than the man I wanted to be.”
I looked away.
“So you cheated.”
“Yes.”
“You lied.”
“Yes.”
“You forged my signature.”
“Yes.”
“And now you want justice?”
“I want to tell the truth.”
He slid another folder across the table.
“Everything is there.”
I opened it.
Emails.
Bank records.
Meeting schedules.
A full blueprint of the scheme.
And one final document.
My father's private financial ledger.
It showed millions transferred to Julian.
I looked up.
“This is enough to put him away.”
“I know.”
“Why give it to me?”
“Because you were the only person I ever betrayed who didn't deserve it.”
I closed the folder.
“Goodbye, Julian.”
May you like
He nodded.
“I expected nothing else.”
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