30 Chapter 32
Chapter 32 – The Ex’s Desperate Ploy
Tension clawed at my throat as I stared at the fifty–million–dollar request hanging in the air. Wesley’s eyes gleamed with entitlement as he leaned against my desk, his expensive watch catching the light as he gesticulated wildly.
“You have the money now, Hazel,” he insisted. “Everyone knows Julian handed over the company to you, and that Sterling guy is loaded. This should be pocket change.”
I kept my expression neutral while my mind raced. The audacity was breathtaking- showing up at my office making demands as if I were some ATM machine. The worst part was the kernel of truth in his words. Julian had indeed transferred ownership of our joint company to me, but the transition was still underway. And though Damien had helped with financing, every penny was accounted for in our business expansion.
“I don’t have fifty million sitting in my checking account, Wesley,” I said coldly. “And I’m not obligated to bail out your family from problems they created.”
“My mother helped you!” he spat. “She gave you money when you had nothing!”
“And I intend to help her,” I replied, keeping my voice steady. “But extortion isn’t the way to handle this. I need time to-”
“Time is something we don’t have!” Wesley slammed his fist on my desk, making my coffee mug jump. “Dad’s filing charges t
unless the money appears.”
The door to my office swung open without warning. My blood ran cold as Julian walked in, his tailored suit impeccable as always, his expression a mask of concern that didn’t reach his eyes.
“I couldn’t help overhearing,” he said smoothly. “Family troubles, Hazel?”
I stood
- up.
furious at the intrusion. “This is a private conversation.”
Julian ignored me, extending his hand to Wesley. “Julian Grayson. I believe we met at Hazel’s birthday party two years ago.”
Wesley brightened immediately, shaking Julian’s hand. “Of course. Wesley Preston.”
“If it’s financial assistance you need,” Julian continued, “I’d be happy to help. For
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Hazel’s sake.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “Julian-
“I could provide the fifty million,” he said, cutting me off with a smile that made skin crawl. “As a loan to Hazel, of course. Family is important, after all.”
Wesley’s expression transformed from desperation to relief. “That would be incredible.
“No, I said firmly, “Absolutely not.”
Julian turned to me, all wounded innocence. “I’m just trying to help.
my
“You’re trying to trap me into owing you,” I retorted. “Wesley, give me a few days. I’ll figure something out that doesn’t involve Julian’s money.”
Wesley’s face darkened. “We don’t have days. Either
you help now, or Mom goes to jail.”
“Take the deal, Hazel, Julian urged. “For your aunt’s sake.”
I took a deep breath. “Wesley, please wait outside. I need to speak with Julian alone.”
After a moment of hesitation, Wesley nodded and left, closing the door behind him.
The moment we were alone, I rounded on Julian. “What are you playing at?”
“I told you–I want to help. His smile didn’t waver.
“You want to create a situation where I’m indebted to you, I countered. “Fifty million is a lot of strings attached.”
Julian sighed, dropping the pretense of benevolence. “You’ve grown cynical, Hazel.”
“I’ve grown smarter,” I corrected. “You don’t just show up after everything you’ve done and try to buy your way back into. my life.”
He stepped closer, his cologne–once so familiar and comforting–now cloying and suffocating. “I miss you.”
“And I miss who I thought you were,” I replied coldly. “But that person never existed.”
“That’s not true. Julian’s voice softened as he reached for my hand. I pulled away before he could touch me, “I made a terrible mistake. I see that now.”
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“A mistake?” I laughed bitterly, “Yo
arried my stepsister. On the day of our wedding Using the venue and arrangements I spent a year planning. That’s not a mistake, Julian. That’s a betrayal of epic proportions.”
His eyes hardened for a moment before he controlled his expression. “Ivy was dying”
“And now she’s still dying. I said bluntly. “Only now she’s your problem, not mine.”
Julian winced. “You’ve changed.”
“Yes. I no longer tolerate bullshit. I crossed my arms. “Why are you really here? It can’t be coincidence that you showed up exactly when Wesley was demanding money.”
Julian paced my office, running his fingers through his perfectly styled hair. “I heard about your relationship with Damien Sterling”
So that was it. “And that bothers you? You gave up any right to opinions about my personal life.”
“He’s dangerous, Hazel.” Julian stopped, fixing me with an intense stare. “The Sterling family has connections you can’t imagine. They’re not just wealthy–they’re powerful in ways that should frighten you.”
I rolled my eyes. “Says the man who married my dying stepsister for her money.”
“That’s not why- Julian started, then stopped himself. “I’m concerned about you. Sterling appeared out of nowhere, inserting himself into your life suspiciously quickly after our… situation.”
“Our situation?” I repeated incredulously. “You mean after you humiliated me publicly and destroyed six years of our relationship? And now you’re jealous that someone else sees value in me?”
“I’m not jealous!” Julian insisted, too quickly. “I’m worried. How much do you really know about him?”
“More than enough to know he’s worth ten of you,” I snapped. “He’s been there for me. without conditions or manipulation. Unlike you, showing up with fifty million strings attached.
Julian’s expression shifted, a flash of genuine hurt crossing his features. “I hate seeing you with him. The way he looks at you… the way you look at him. I made a horrible mistake, Hazel.”
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“Yes, you did, I agreed. “And you’ll ep living with the consequences.”
He stepped closer, his voice dropping. “I still love you. I never stopped.
“Then you should have thought of that before you said ‘I do‘ to Ivy.” I moved back, maintaining distance between us. “Where is your beloved wife, anyway? Shouldn’t you be by her sickbed instead of harassing me?”
Julian’s shoulders slumped, and for a second, I glimpsed genuine exhaustion in his posture. “Ivy is… difficult. The treatments aren’t working as well as we hoped. She’s angry all the time.
“Not my problem,” I reminded him.
“She asks about you,” Julian said quietly. “About your jade bracelet.
I stiffened. The white jade bracelet had been my mother’s–one of the few things I had left of her. “What about it?”
Julian looked up, his eyes suddenly alert, like a predator who’d spotted weakness. “Ivy believes it would help her. Something about its healing properties.”
“That’s ridiculous, I scoffed. “It’s just a bracelet.”
“To you, maybe. But to someone desperate for any glimmer of hope…” Julian let the implication hang in the air. “She’s fixated on it. Says she’s dreamed about it.”
The pieces suddenly clicked into place, and I felt a cold fury rise within me. “So that’s what this is really about. The fifty million, the sudden concern, the declarations of love -it’s all just to get my bracelet for Ivy.”
Julian had the grace to look slightly ashamed, but he recovered quickly. “Think of it as a rental. Fifty million to borrow a bracelet. You’d solve your aunt’s problems, and Ivy would have some comfort in her final months.”
“You’re unbelievable,” I whispered. “Did you ever care about me at all? Or was I just convenient–a source of blood when you needed it, and now a source of jewelry for your dying wife?”
“Of course I cared! I still do!” Julian protested. “This isn’t just about the bracelet. It’s about giving us both a chance to help people we care about. Your aunt gets the money she needs, and Ivy gets some peace.
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I stared at him, truly seeing him for at he was–a man who would use anyone and anything to get what he wanted. Had I really been engaged to this person? Had I really believed I loved him?
“Juhan Grayson,” I said slowly, my voice altered by shock and disbelief, “so you came all this way, went through all that, just to ask me for the jade bracelet?
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