Chapter 6 - The Shadows of St. Jude
While Leo was bathed and cared for upstairs, Edward walked into his private study. The room was lined with floor-to-ceiling mahogany bookshelves, dominated by a massive executive desk made of polished walnut. Resting on the center of the desk was a framed photograph from thirty years ago—a young Edward and a smiling Daniel standing in front of their first humble laboratory.
Edward sat down in his leather armchair and pulled off his gold chronograph, laying it beside the photograph. The ticking of the second hand sounded like a heartbeat in the quiet room.
Suddenly, the heavy double doors of the study swept open without a knock.
A tall, sleek man in his late thirties stepped into the room. He wore a sharp grey double-breasted suit and possessed a razor-sharp jawline with eyes as cold as flint. This was Richard Sterling, Edward’s nephew and the current Chief Operating Officer of Sterling Dynamics.
"Uncle," Richard said, his voice laced with suppressed irritation as he stepped toward the desk. "I just received a call from the manager at Le Grand Orme. He said you made a public scene, pulled a street vagrant off the floor, and brought him home. What on earth are you thinking? The board meeting for the merger is tomorrow morning. We cannot afford bad press."
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Edward looked up slowly, his eyes cold and unblinking. "That boy upstairs is Daniel Vance’s son, Richard."
Richard froze for a fraction of a second before a smooth, dismissive smile spread across his lips. "Daniel Vance? The disgraced engineer who died in obscurity? Uncle, that was fifteen years ago. Whatever guilt you’re carrying, don't let some stray street kid manipulate you with a sob story. We don't even know if he's really Vance's child."
