CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN – BUILDING DOUBTS IN THE COMPANY

"Julian, we need to talk," his father, Edward, gruffed one afternoon, his weathered features etched with a mixture of weariness and disappointment. Julian braced himself, steeling his resolve as he met his father's piercing gaze. "Of course, Father. What seems to be the problem?" Edward sighed, his broad shoulders slumping as if bearing the weight of the world. "Son, these... indiscretions of yours, these reckless actions against the von Beckers – they're tearing this family apart." Julian's jaw clenched, a surge of defiance rising within him. "Indiscretions? Father, you know as well as I do the depths of the von Beckers' depravity. Their criminal empire must be brought to justice, no matter the cost." "At what cost, Julian?" His mother's voice, soft yet laced with a steely resolve, cut through the tension like a knife. "The cost of your reputation? Your standing within the company, the very empire we've spent generations building?" Julian turned to face her, his heart aching at t