Chapter 4 - Corporate Shadows
Marcus Thorne was a man who thrived on other people's destruction. As Julian's biggest rival in the clean-energy sector, Marcus had spent years trying to dismantle Julian's empire. When his informants in Chicago reported that the great Julian Vance was spending weeks away from his corporate headquarters, obsessively trailing an ex-wife and three undocumented children, Marcus smelled blood.
Evelyn was leaving her laboratory late one evening when a sleek silver car pulled up beside her. Marcus stepped out, flashing a predatory smile. Evelyn Vance, he purred. It has been a long time.
Evelyn stiffened. She knew exactly who he was. Julian had always despised him. What do you want, Marcus?
Just a friendly chat, he said, leaning against his car. I hear you are sitting on a revolutionary water filtration patent. I want to buy it. And I also hear Julian has suddenly discovered he is a family man. It would be a terrible shame if the tabloids found out that the righteous Julian Vance abandoned his pregnant wife, leaving his three bastard daughters to grow up fatherless. The scandal would ruin his company's stock right before the quarterly merger.
Evelyn felt a surge of cold fury. Are you threatening my children to blackmail me for a patent?
I am offering you a choice, Marcus smiled. Sell me the tech, and I keep my mouth shut about your little family secret.
May you like
Evelyn stepped closer, her eyes blazing. You listen to me. I survived Julian Vance breaking my heart, and I built a life from nothing. You do not scare me.
She turned and walked away, but her hands were shaking. She knew Marcus was ruthless. The quiet, safe life she had built for her daughters was suddenly on the verge of collapsing into a massive, public circus.
