Chapter 14 - The Letter With Julian’s Name
Seven years.
That was the detail none of us could explain.
Julian would have been thirty-one.
A mid-level consultant.
Not yet at Aurelia.
Not yet connected to me.
Yet my mother had written:
IF AUDREY EVER MARRIES JULIAN VANCE, WE FAILED.
I read the sentence again.
Then the date.
Real.
Scanned from aged paper.
My mother’s handwriting.
I knew every curve.
Every impatient slash through a T.
“This can’t be right.”
Franklin checked the scan metadata.
“The scan is recent. The physical letter needs authentication.”
“But the handwriting?”
“Looks consistent.”
Elaine asked, “Could Julian have been identified as a candidate years earlier?”
“Candidate for what?”
No one answered.
I continued reading.
Meredith—
Conrad has begun building a second generation around the old settlement. He has three young men under review. Richard gave me one name by mistake: Julian Vance.
My stomach tightened.
Second generation.
Not one plan.
A succession plan.
If Conrad could not regain Northstar through my mother, he planned to go through me.
The letter continued.
I have changed Audrey’s trust structure and removed spousal rights. Richard says that will be enough.
Do not believe him.
If Conrad chooses a husband, the marriage will only be the front door.
My throat tightened.
My mother had anticipated this.
She had tried to protect me.
And somehow the protections had been altered.
I read further.
Julian’s father worked for Morrow Industrial during the original fund dispute.
That was new.
I searched Julian’s family background.
His father, Patrick Vance.
Retired accountant.
That was what Julian told me.
Franklin ran historic records.
Patrick Vance had been controller of Morrow Industrial from 1994 to 2001.
He had signed several of the disputed invoices that triggered Northstar’s original split.
Julian had not merely been a random ambitious man Conrad recruited.
His family was already tied to the old scheme.
Generational.
That explained why Conrad might have trusted him.
And why my mother knew his name.
The letter continued.
Patrick is keeping his son close to Conrad. Meredith, if I am gone, watch the boy.
I stopped.
“The boy.”
Julian.
My mother had known about my future husband when he was barely out of college.
Elaine whispered, “This is bigger than the marriage.”
“Yes.”
The next page was missing.
Scanned image one of three.
We only had page one.
“Where are the others?” I asked.
Franklin searched.
Not present.
Naomi had copied only the first.
Maybe she never had more.
Or maybe Richard did.
My phone rang.
Julian.
I answered.
“Where are you?”
His voice was tight.
“At the hotel.”
“We need to meet.”
“No.”
“Audrey, listen to me.”
“You had three years to try honesty.”
“I didn’t know your mother knew my name.”
That stopped me.
“You saw the letter?”
“Richard showed me.”
“When?”
“Ten minutes ago.”
So Richard had copies.
“What else did he show you?”
“Enough.”
“Meaning?”
Julian exhaled shakily.
“My father worked for Conrad.”
“I know.”
“I didn’t.”
I almost laughed.
“You expect me to believe you knew nothing?”
“I knew Conrad helped my career.”
“Did you know he selected you to marry me?”
Silence.
“Yes.”
At least he finally said it.
“When?”
“Before Lauren introduced us.”
My chest hurt anyway.
Knowing did not make hearing easier.
“So every date was fake.”
“No.”
“Don’t.”
“It started fake.”
“That is not better.”
“I know.”
“Why did you continue?”
“Money at first.”
He said it plainly.
Ugly honesty.
“Then?”
He hesitated.
“I didn’t expect you.”
My jaw tightened.
“Save the love speech.”
“I’m not giving one.”
Good.
Because I would have hung up.
He continued.
“Conrad told me you were entitled. Detached. Easy to manipulate through praise.”
I almost smiled.
“He should have hired better researchers.”
Julian gave a broken laugh.
Then stopped.
“He promised me ten percent.”
“I know.”
“Of Northstar.”
“I know.”
“You found Project Widow.”
“Yes.”
His breathing changed.
“Then you know he never planned to pay me.”
“Your candidate profile said you were a risk.”
Silence.
“I saw it,” I added.
“Of course.”
“Why are you calling?”
“Because Richard showed me page two of your mother’s letter.”
I stood.
“What does it say?”
“I’ll tell you in person.”
“No.”
“Audrey.”
“Read it.”
Silence.
Then a door closed on his end.
His voice dropped.
“Page two says Conrad wasn’t the only person selecting candidates.”
“Who else?”
“I don’t know.”
“Read the name.”
“There isn’t one.”
“What is there?”
“A symbol.”
“What symbol?”
“A black compass.”
I looked toward Richard’s silver compass tie bar in my memory.
My mother had given it to him.
Maybe not as a gift.
Maybe as a marker.
“Send me a photograph.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because Richard took the page back.”
“Where is he?”
“Gone.”
My pulse jumped.
“Gone where?”
“I don’t know.”
“And Naomi?”
“He says she’s being moved.”
“Where?”
“He wouldn’t tell me.”
I closed my eyes.
“Julian, if you want any chance of not going down with everyone else, find Naomi.”
“I’m trying.”
“Try harder.”
I started to hang up.
Then he said, “There’s something else.”
“What?”
“Camilla came back.”
“Where?”
“To me.”
“Why?”
“She says Conrad ordered her to release the scandal.”
“That’s not new.”
“She says he also ordered her to plant the ledger.”
I looked at Elaine.
“And my jewelry?”
“Yes.”
“What does she want?”
“Protection.”
“From whom?”
Julian lowered his voice.
“Meredith.”
My grip tightened.
“Why?”
“Camilla says Meredith isn’t helping you.”
“Then what is she doing?”
“She says Meredith designed Project Widow.”
The room went silent.
That contradicted everything we thought we had learned.
Julian continued.
“And she has proof.”
“Where?”
“Camilla has the original planning file.”
I asked the only question that mattered.
“Where is she now?”
Julian gave me a room number.
Not the Halcyon.
A private suite inside Aurelia’s Boston headquarters.
Then he said, “She wants everyone there.”
“Who is everyone?”
“You. Me. Malcolm. Lauren. Elaine.”
“That’s not everyone.”
He hesitated.
“Meredith too.”
“How does Camilla plan to make her come?”
Julian’s answer made my stomach tighten.
May you like
“She has Naomi.”
📖 See why Camilla suddenly claimed she had Naomi and proof against Meredith—and what happened when every major player was drawn toward Aurelia headquarters in CHAPTER 15. 👇
