Chapter 18
Chapter 18:
She twisted.
It was a simple Aikido move, utilizing the rotational force of her wrist against his thumb.
“Ah!” Julian yelped, releasing her as pain shot up his forearm—the same arm he had injured boxing.
“I saved him once. I’m trying to do it again,” she said enigmatically.
She walked out of the café, leaving her coffee on the counter.
Julian stood there, rubbing his arm, shaken. The crowd in the café was staring.
He pulled out his phone. He hesitated, then dialed a number.
“Aunt Eleanor p>
“Julian, dear, what is it?” Eleanor Thorne’s voice was crisp.
“I just saw the Vance girl. She… she said something creepy p>
“What did she say?” Eleanor’s tone sharpened.
“She said Elias is going to collapse at 9 PM. She gave a timeline. It was… weirdly specific p>
There was a pause on the line.
“Elias has been complaining of headaches all week,” Eleanor said slowly.
“It’s just stress,” Julian assured her, trying to convince himself. “He works too hard p>
“Keep an eye on him tonight, Julian,” Eleanor ordered. “I’m coming over to the penthouse p>
Aurora returned to the lawyer’s office. Arthur was finished, holding a sealed envelope with a grim satisfaction.
“Done,” he said. “They get nothing p>
Aurora checked her watch. It was 2:00 PM. Seven hours to go.
7:00 PM. The Thorne Penthouse was a fortress of glass and steel, floating above the city like a detached spaceship.
I ¢♄₳þŧëяŞ ¡η gałnøνεlŞ.cø₥
Elias Thorne sat at his desk, the blue light of three monitors illuminating his face. He looked impeccable, as always, but his skin had a greyish cast.
Julian was pacing in the corner, nursing a scotch. He kept glancing at the grandfather clock in the hall.
“You’re hovering, Julian. It’s annoying,” Elias said without looking up. His voice was raspy.
“Just… taking a break,” Julian lied.
The elevator chimed. Eleanor Thorne walked in, carrying a thermos.
“I brought soup,” she announced. “Bone broth p>
Elias raised an eyebrow. “Is there a party I wasn’t invited to? Why is everyone here p>
Julian hesitated. He swirled the ice in his glass. “I ran into Aurora Vance today p>
Elias paused typing. His fingers hovered over the keys.
“And p>
“She said you’d collapse at 9. She called it a ‘system crash p>
Elias leaned back in his ergonomic chair. He felt fine. Tired, yes. A dull throb behind his eyes, yes. But that was normal for a man running a conglomerate.
“She’s trying to get attention,” Elias said dismissively. “She’s playing mind games. Ignore it p>
“She knew about the Tokyo meeting,” Julian added.