Chapter 3 - JULIAN’S COUNTERATTACK
The room erupted.
Vanessa started demanding answers.
Robert cursed.
Mia began crying again.
Beatrice told everyone to calm down.
Julian did something worse.
He smiled.
It was not his warm smile.
It was the smile he used during negotiations when he believed the other person had just revealed weakness.
“You want the truth?”
He walked toward the dining table.
“Fine.”
He pointed at me.
“Harper has been moving money for months.”
I stared at him.
Daniel remained still.
Julian continued.
“She has hidden business accounts.”
“Under legal advice,” I said.
“She has transferred funds.”
“To protect operating payroll after I discovered your affair.”
“She installed hidden cameras in our home.”
“After you lied repeatedly.”
“She has been documenting me like a criminal.”
Daniel leaned back.
“You forged her signature.”
Julian looked at him.
“Prove it.”
That confidence bothered me.
It was too clean.
Julian had always been arrogant.
But this was preparation.
He had expected confrontation eventually.
Maybe not tonight.
But eventually.
He turned toward the family.
“For months, my wife has been unstable.”
There it was.
The word Beatrice had prepared Mia to use against me.
Unstable.
Julian continued.
“She barely sleeps.”
“She spies.”
“She tracks my movements.”
“She screams at employees.”
I almost interrupted.
Daniel raised one finger slightly.
Wait.
So I waited.
Julian looked at Mia.
“Tell them.”
Mia clutched the towel around her.
Her face changed.
The frightened mistress disappeared.
Something rehearsed took her place.
“Mrs. Caldwell has scared me before.”
Vanessa stared at her.
“You were sleeping with her husband.”
Mia lowered her eyes.
“I’m not proud of that.”
Julian spoke quickly.
“But that does not excuse abuse.”
I laughed.
“I never touched her.”
Mia looked up.
“You threw a vase near me.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Three weeks ago.”
“That never happened.”
“You were angry.”
“I was in Denver three weeks ago.”
Mia’s expression shifted.
Only for a second.
Daniel noticed.
“So that incident occurred while Mrs. Caldwell was out of state?”
Mia swallowed.
“I might have the week wrong.”
Julian stepped in.
“That’s not the point.”
Daniel looked at him.
“It becomes the point when someone makes a factual accusation.”
Julian’s jaw flexed.
Then he pulled out his phone.
“I knew tonight was coming.”
My heartbeat changed.
He opened an email.
“I have documentation too.”
He showed the screen to Daniel.
A therapist’s name appeared at the top.
My therapist.
Dr. Elaine Roberts.
My stomach dropped.
The email included fragments from private sessions.
Statements about anger.
Betrayal.
Fear.
A sentence about imagining smashing every plate in the house.
Private words spoken during the worst weeks of my life.
“How did you get that?”
Julian folded his arms.
“You left things around.”
“No.”
I walked closer.
“I never printed my therapy notes.”
Daniel’s expression became severe.
“Were these actually released by the therapist?”
“I don’t know.”
Julian shrugged.
“They’re legitimate.”
Daniel looked at him.
“That wasn’t my question.”
Julian said nothing.
I thought about the account passwords.
The shared tablet.
The home office.
Mia cleaning rooms.
Beatrice visiting.
My anger turned into something colder.
“You accessed my medical information.”
Julian laughed.
“Listen to yourself.”
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“You listen.”
The room went silent.
“You cheated in my home.”
“You planned with your mother to use me for money.”
“You forged my signature.”
“You borrowed against property I helped build.”
“And now you are holding stolen therapy information as a weapon.”
Julian’s smile faded.
“You can tell this family I’m unstable.”
I pointed toward the bathroom.
“But you were still the man hiding naked in my jacuzzi ten minutes ago.”
Vanessa looked away to hide a smile.
Julian saw it.
That made him furious.
He turned toward Mia.
“Get dressed.”
I blocked the hall.
“Her things are locked away.”
Julian stared at me.
“Give them back.”
“I will.”
“When?”
“When she leaves my house.”
Mia whispered.
“My phone is in there.”
“You’ll get it.”
Her eyes flicked toward Julian.
That look was tiny.
But I saw it.
Fear.
Not of me.
Of the phone.
Daniel saw it too.
“What’s on the phone, Mia?”
“Nothing.”
She answered too quickly.
Julian stepped between them.
“This interrogation is over.”
Daniel stood.
“Actually, Julian, I think tonight is just beginning.”
Then my security system chimed.
Someone had opened the rear gate.
I looked at my phone.
The camera feed showed a man wearing a gray cap moving quickly across the garden.
I did not recognize him.
He was heading toward the side entrance.
Toward my office.
Daniel looked at the screen.
“Do you know him?”
“No.”
Julian’s face changed.
It was the smallest reaction.
But it was enough.
I pointed at him.
“You do.”
Julian said nothing.
May you like
The stranger reached my office window.
And in his hand was a key.
