Chapter 6: The Counter-Strike
Chapter 6: The Counter-Strike
The following Monday, the Mercer Foundation held an emergency board meeting. Vivienne had convened it to formally challenge Julian’s mental fitness and strip him of his voting rights. The boardroom was tense, the massive oak table surrounded by the same trustees who had watched Mara kneel just days before.
Vivienne sat at the head of the table, dressed in impeccable navy wool, looking entirely in control. "Julian is unwell," she was telling the board. "His sudden marriage to a troubled member of the domestic staff is proof of his compromised judgment."
The double doors swung open.
Julian walked in, wearing a sharp charcoal suit. On his arm was Mara. She wore a tailored maternity dress in deep emerald green, her sharp new haircut framing her face elegantly. She walked with perfect posture, the heavy diamond of her wedding band catching the light.
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Vivienne stood up, her composure slipping. "You cannot bring her in here. She is unauthorized staff."
"She is my wife," Julian said, his voice echoing off the paneled walls. "And as of this morning, she is the primary legal custodian of the Carroway archive."
