Chapter 223
JULIAN
The “Black File” felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, even after Kiera had taken it back. Every line I had read—the “unfit” labels, the burned birthday gifts, the forced exile—was replaying on a loop behind my eyes, each repetition stoking the fire.
I wanted to find him. Right now. I wanted to drive back to that mansion, drag Richard out of his bed, and show him exactly what a “menace to well-being” looked like.
“You better not.” Kiera’s voice was sharp, cutting through the red haze. “Control it. If you walk into that house looking like you want to commit murder, you’ve already lost. Richard is a predator; he smells intent before you even open your mouth p>
I snorted, a harsh, jagged sound. My hands were still shaking, so I shoved them deep into my pockets. “You expect me to go back there and act like I didn’t just find out he’s spent fifteen years erasing my mother from existence p>
“No. I expect you to be smarter than he is,” Kiera countered. She stepped closer, her eyes hard and calculating. “You want to avenge Madeleine? You want to find out where she is? Then you stop being the rebellious son and you start being the loyal one. You get close to him. You make him believe the ’House of Vaughn’ is finally united p>
Her voice was like ice water over my skin, trying to put out the fire that was currently consuming my lungs. I was staring at the black file, my vision blurring.
I sniffed hard, the salt air of the warehouse stinging my nose.
Kiera continued, stepping closer until she was right in my line of sight. “Stop being his victim and start being his protégé. If you want to take him down, you need to get back inside his head. You need access to that study, Julian. Not just for a five-minute sprint while he’s distracted, but real, unfettered access. There are files in that vault that make this one look like a bedtime story. Financials, shell companies… and maybe the one thing you actually want p>
Catherine moved beside me, her small, warm hand sliding into mine. She didn’t say anything, but the pressure of her fingers against my palm was the only thing keeping me grounded. I squeezed back, hard, using her as an anchor.
“Why?” I asked, my voice thick. “What’s the point of the play-acting p>
“Because the file I showed you isn’t enough to sink him, but it proves where he keeps the real bodies buried,” Kiera explained. “Richard has a private safe in his study—not the decoy in the wall, the floor safe beneath the oak cabinets. If he has her location, or the proof of the shell companies he’s using for the campaign, it’s in there. You need to gain access to that room without him suspecting a thing p>
I squeezed my fingers tight, then released them, trying to clear the burn in my chest. “Do you know where she is?” I asked, my voice sounding like it was being dragged over gravel. She looked at Dante this time and I looked at him too. “Any trace on her whatsoever p>
Dante sighed, a rare look of genuine sympathy crossing his face before shaking his head slowly. “We’ve run her name through every international database we have access to. Nothing. No travel logs after three years ago, no bank activity. It’s a dead end, Julian. She seemed to have vanished p>
“Richard might be the only one left who knows,” Kiera added, her voice dropping. “And that is exactly why you have to get into that study. You have to find a clue. Find a ledger, a contact, anything. Check every piece of paper he thinks is hidden p>
We left shortly after, the drive back to the mansion feeling like a funeral procession. We managed to slip back in through the service entrance, moving like ghosts through the corridors. I dropped Catherine off at her door, watching her disappear behind the wood before I retreated to my own room. I couldn’t sleep. I just lay there in the dark, staring at the ceiling, playing all that I found out in my head. Get close to him.
When the bell for breakfast rang, I felt like I was stepping onto a stage.
I headed down to the dining table, every step feeling like I was walking through wet cement. As I approached the room, I heard Richard’s voice. He was laughing, a deep, performative sound as he spoke to someone on the phone about his latest polling numbers.
The sound was infuriating. It was the sound of a man who thought he had won. I felt the bile rise in my throat. I wanted to rush him. I wanted to flip the table and wrap my hands around his throat until he told me where she was.
Get close to him, Kiera’s voice rang in my head. Gain access.
I took a deep breath, forced my face into a neutral expression, and walked in, trying to stop myself from scowling.
“Good morning, father,” I said, the words tasting like ash. I even managed a stiff nod, the kind of “good son” gesture he loved.
Richard paused, the phone still at his ear. He looked up from his tablet, a flicker of surprise crossing his features. He was probably searching for the fire he’d seen last night. Finding none, he nodded and hung up. “Julian. Glad to see you’ve regained your senses after last night’s… dramatics p>
I took my seat, ignoring the way my skin crawled as he smiled at me like a proud father. Gabriel was already there, looking pale and weary, his eyes darting to mine. I gave him a nearly imperceptible nod— we’re okay
Catherine walked in a moment later, her face carefully neutral. She sat across from me, her eyes lowered.
“I realized my behavior was uncalled for,” I lied, my voice steady. “I apologize for the outburst. It will not happen again p>
Richard flashed that stupid smile of his at me. “Better late than never. Since we’re all acting like adults now, let’s discuss the timeline. The campaign needs stability. I’ve set the date for the engagement gala p>
“Now that we’re all here,” he started, tapping his spoon against his coffee cup. “Let’s discuss the future. The board is very impressed with the engagement of all three of you. They want to capitalize on it and so… I’ve set the date for the engagement party p>
I felt my stomach drop. Beside me, I could see Catherine’s hand tighten on her napkin.
He paused for effect, taking a sip of his coffee. “The middle of March,” Richard announced, leaning back with a smug expression. “Four weeks from now. We’ll host it here. It will be the social event of the season, the official launch of the Vaughn legacy’s next Chapter p>
My chair screeched against the floor as I leaned forward. started to stand. I felt the blood roar in my ears. Four weeks? He was trying to bind us together permanently before the election even started.
My mouth wanted to pry open badly, to throw insults at this evil man, but then my eyes locked with Catherine’s.
She gave me a slight, firm nod. A silent command. Control it.
I forced myself to sit back down. I forced my hands to stay flat on the table, then exhaled slowly through my nose. “Four weeks,” I repeated, forcing a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Plenty of time to prepare. It does sound… appropriate,” the words choked out.
Richard beam to my response was the most disgusting thing I had ever seen. He seemed so satisfied, turning back to his news feed.
We were done with our meal. As we walked out toward the cars for school, I pulled her aside, out of sight and earshot.
“I’m not letting him have his way, Catherine,” I whispered, my voice vibrating with intensity. “I swear My chest was panting hard. “If you hadn’t looked at me at the dining room, I would have pounced on him p>
“Julian p>
“Catherine. I promise you,” I cut her off, gripping her arms gently. “Before that engagement party even starts, I am going to destroy him. I’m going to find where she is, and I’m going to take everything he’s ever built and burn it to the ground p>