Chapter 13 - Julian Makes His Final Move
The man called himself Evan.
Nora knew him only as one of the guards who had spent the previous two days standing near Roman.
Now he held a small object in one hand.
Not a gun.
A syringe.
Nora backed away.
Julian tried to sit up.
“What are you doing?”
Evan ignored him.
“Nora, give me your phone.”
“No.”
“I don't want to hurt you.”
“Then leave.”
Evan smiled faintly.
“Peter said you'd be difficult.”
Julian reached toward the nurse-call button.
Evan disconnected it.
Nora's pulse hammered.
She thought about Roman.
The baby.
The door.
Three steps away.
Evan stood between her and it.
“What does Peter want?”
“The ledger.”
“I don't have it.”
“He knows.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because Roman does.”
Nora understood.
Leverage.
Again.
Everyone always tried using her as leverage.
She was tired of it.
“You're kidnapping a pregnant woman from a hospital.”
Evan's expression flickered.
“This wasn't supposed to become complicated.”
“Funny. Criminals always say that.”
Julian laughed weakly.
Evan looked toward him.
That distraction was enough.
Nora grabbed the rolling bedside tray and slammed it toward Evan's knees.
He stumbled.
Julian pulled the IV stand across his path.
Evan fell.
Nora ran.
She opened the door and shouted.
“Security!”
Hospital staff reacted immediately.
Evan attempted to stand.
Two actual security officers tackled him.
Nora leaned against the wall shaking.
Julian laughed painfully from inside the room.
“I finally did something useful.”
Nora looked at him.
“Yes.”
“Tell Roman.”
“Don't push it.”
Within minutes, federal agents arrived.
Evan talked quickly.
Peter had paid him.
He had also installed access devices in Roman's security network.
Most importantly, Peter was still in Boston.
Roman reached the hospital twenty minutes later.
He walked straight past everyone.
Saw Nora.
Stopped.
She was fine.
His entire body visibly loosened.
He didn't hug her.
He waited.
Nora crossed the distance herself.
Roman wrapped his arms around her carefully.
For several seconds, she allowed herself to rest there.
Then she whispered, “Your employee tried to kidnap me with a syringe.”
“I know.”
“You really need better hiring practices.”
Roman laughed against her hair.
It wasn't funny.
That was why they both needed it.
Later, Roman entered Julian's room.
Nora expected hostility.
Instead, Roman stood near the bed.
Julian looked at him.
“I helped.”
“I heard.”
“You're welcome.”
Roman raised an eyebrow.
Julian smiled weakly.
“I don't expect gratitude.”
“Good.”
Nora sighed.
“Men.”
Both looked at her.
She shook her head.
Julian turned serious.
“Peter has another plan.”
Roman leaned forward.
“What?”
“He intends to trigger the Bellamy Harbor default anyway.”
“Accounts are frozen.”
“Not all.”
Julian explained that Peter controlled a secondary lender through a shell company.
If the main loan defaulted, Peter could file emergency claims against the estate.
Even if those claims failed eventually, litigation could tie the hotel up for years.
“Enough time to force Vincent into bankruptcy,” Roman said.
Julian nodded.
“And buy distressed assets.”
Nora understood.
“Peter wants the hotel himself.”
“Among other things.”
Roman asked, “Where is the shell company?”
Julian gave them a name.
Whitmore traced it within an hour.
The registered address belonged to a law office in Delaware.
The beneficial owner was hidden.
But one bank account had received transfers from Selene.
Nora frowned.
“Selene funded Peter?”
Julian nodded.
“She thought she was protecting the hotel.”
“By giving him money?”
“He told her he could block Roman's purchase.”
Roman almost looked impressed by Peter's manipulation.
“He played everyone.”
Julian closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
That evening, Selene agreed to cooperate from custody.
She provided passwords.
Emails.
Payment records.
Vincent surrendered old company archives.
Roman surrendered internal business documents.
Julian surrendered everything he had copied.
Slowly, Peter's network collapsed.
The only person missing was Peter himself.
And the original Arthur March ledger.
Roman had moved it to a federal evidence vault.
Peter didn't know that.
They decided to use the uncertainty.
A false message was deliberately leaked.
LEDGER MOVED TO MARCH GRAND SAFE.
Roman objected to Nora being anywhere near the hotel.
Nora agreed.
This time.
She stayed at a secure location while agents prepared.
At midnight, cameras captured Peter entering the March Grand through an old service tunnel.
He knew the building well.
Too well.
He reached the executive safe.
Opened it.
Found nothing.
Agents surrounded him.
Peter ran.
He made it to the ballroom.
Then stopped.
Roman stood at the opposite entrance.
Not alone.
Federal agents flanked him.
Peter laughed.
“You finally became respectable.”
Roman's expression remained calm.
“I wouldn't go that far.”
“You gave them your records.”
“Yes.”
“You'll lose everything.”
“Maybe.”
“You could go to prison.”
“Maybe.”
Peter stared at him.
“And you're okay with that?”
“No.”
Roman stepped closer.
“But I will not let fear decide every choice I make.”
Peter's face twisted.
“You think that woman changed you?”
“No.”
Roman shook his head.
“She reminded me I could change myself.”
Peter looked toward the exits.
All blocked.
Roman continued.
“You had money.”
Peter said nothing.
“Position.”
Silence.
“Trust.”
Peter's jaw tightened.
“And it was never enough.”
Peter laughed.
“You inherited everything.”
“I inherited violence and debt.”
“You inherited power.”
“And spent half my life wishing I hadn't.”
Peter looked away.
Roman added quietly, “You could have left.”
Peter's expression changed.
For one second, regret.
Then agents approached.
He didn't resist.
By dawn, Peter Sloane was in federal custody.
The Bellamy Harbor accounts were frozen completely.
The immediate threat was over.
But another consequence had begun.
Roman's cooperation opened investigations into his own past.
Three days later, prosecutors requested an interview.
His attorneys advised silence.
Roman refused.
Nora found him dressing in the townhouse bedroom.
Dark suit.
No tie.
“You're going?”
“Yes.”
“Without immunity?”
“They offered limited protection.”
“Limited?”
“I won't be charged for certain financial disclosures.”
“And the rest?”
Roman looked at her.
“I don't know.”
Nora felt fear rise.
He walked closer.
“I need to do this.”
“You could lose everything.”
“Yes.”
“Your businesses.”
“Yes.”
“Your freedom.”
A pause.
“Yes.”
Nora's eyes filled.
Roman touched her cheek.
Stopped.
She leaned into his hand.
His voice softened.
“I spent years thinking power meant making sure nobody could force consequences on me.”
“And now?”
“Now I think power might be accepting them.”
Nora closed her eyes.
Then Roman said something she had not expected.
“If they charge me, I want you to file for divorce.”
She stepped back.
“What?”
“I won't tie you and the baby to—”
Nora slapped his chest with both hands.
Not hard.
But enough.
“Do not finish that sentence.”
“Nora.”
“You are not deciding my life again.”
Roman stared.
“If I leave you, it will be because I choose to leave you.”
His eyes filled.
“And if I stay?”
“Same rule.”
Roman nodded.
Nora took his hand.
“Go tell the truth.”
He squeezed her fingers.
Then left.
Six hours later, Roman returned.
Nora stood immediately.
“What happened?”
“They didn't charge me.”
She exhaled.
“Yet.”
Her relief stalled.
Roman continued.
“They're reviewing everything.”
Nora nodded.
Then he gave her a strange look.
“What?”
“There's another problem.”
“Of course there is.”
Roman almost smiled.
“Vincent is here.”
“Why?”
“He wants to speak with you.”
Vincent entered carrying Arthur March's will.
His face looked exhausted.
“Nora.”
“What happened?”
He placed the document on the table.
“The probate court accepted it as authentic.”
Nora stared.
“That means…”
“You now control fifty-one percent of the March Grand.”
She felt nothing at first.
Too much had happened.
Vincent continued.
“And because of my father's will, you also control voting rights over the holding company connected to three other March properties.”
Nora's eyes widened.
“How much?”
Vincent gave a weary smile.
“Enough that technically…”
He swallowed.
“…you are now my boss.”
Nora stared at the man who had spent decades protecting an empire from her existence.
Then she looked at Roman.
And for the first time, she realized the question was no longer whether she could take the March family's power.
May you like
The question was what she would do with it.
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