Chapter 14 - The Price of the Throne
An hour later, Julian stood on the private helipad behind the mansion. The rotor blades of the sleek black helicopter sliced through the torrential rain, creating a vortex of wind and water.
Two operatives escorted Hector Vance toward the aircraft. The old man didn't fight. He walked with a stiff, dignified posture, though his eyes were heavy with the weight of ultimate defeat. Before stepping into the cabin, Hector turned back to look at his son one last time.
"You have become a monster, Julian," Hector shouted over the roar of the engines. "Worse than me!"
"I learned from the best, Father," Julian shouted back, his face devoid of any emotion.
The door of the helicopter slammed shut, and the aircraft lifted into the dark, stormy sky, carrying the old titan away into mandatory retirement on a remote island estate.
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Julian stood alone on the wet tarmac, watching the flashing red lights fade into the clouds. He had won everything. The Vance empire was entirely his. Arthur Pendelton was broken, Hector was deposed, and the world was at his feet.
Yet, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, tarnished silver ring—the ring he had bought for Clara six months ago—an overwhelming emptiness settled in his chest.
