Chapter 5 - The Bloodline Ledger
Julian knelt beside the bassinet. The child shifted under the fleece blanket, tiny fists balling up against the cold air. Julian gently brushed his knuckle against the baby's warm cheek. For ten years, Julian had dedicated his youth to corporate balances, balance sheets, hostile takeovers, and cold calculations. He had treated his family name as a fortress that needed defending, not a home that needed warmth.
Looking at this child, the absurdity of the wealth and the venom surrounding it became glaringly apparent. Christopher had died trying to protect this tiny life from the very machine they had built together.
"What is his name?" Julian asked quietly, without looking up.
"Leo," Elena answered softly from behind him. "Christopher named him Leo. After your grandfather."
Julian closed his eyes for a fraction of a second. Grandfather Leo had started the company out of a machine shop in Detroit, building engines with calloused hands before the suits and hedge funds devoured the family soul.
"Elena, there’s a service dumbwaiter behind the wardrobe in the master bath," Julian instructed, keeping his voice down. "It leads directly to the sub-terrace wine cellar. David has an exit tunnel that opens into the gardener’s cottage beyond the perimeter wall."
"What about you?" Elena asked, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "You're still carrying the thumb drive."
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"They aren't here for the baby, Elena," Julian said, standing up to his full height and straightening his tuxedo collar. "They're here to erase the paper trail that proves Christopher didn't sign those transfers willingly. They need me dead or compliant to ratify the acquisition tomorrow morning. As long as I'm here, they aren't looking in the cellar."
A heavy thump rattled the outer door. Then came the metallic click of a bypass tool grinding inside the electronic lock.
