My Arrogant Business Partner Bet Me $100 I Couldn't Hit a Target — Until My Old ID Card and Scar Exposed Who I Really Was to My Estranged Son
The email arrived without warning. A cold, corporate notification from the Croft & Holloway IT department, buried in my spam folder.
“Dear Marcus Holloway, Your digital access permissions have been updated. Financial server access has been revoked for security purposes.”
I stared at it, a slow burn starting in my gut. They weren’t just restricting my physical access to ledgers; Julian was cutting me out entirely. No payroll, no expense approvals, no direct view into the company’s financial health. It was a complete blockade.
I walked straight to Julian’s office, the polished mahogany door swinging open just as he was stepping out. He paused, a smirk playing on his lips, as if he’d been expecting me.
“Looking for something, Marcus?” he asked, his voice dripping with condescension.
“My access was revoked, Julian. What exactly is ‘security purposes’ supposed to mean?” I kept my voice level, but my hands, even the scarred one, were tight.
Julian leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms. “It means we’re streamlining operations. The family council felt it best that all financial decisions flow through a single, unified channel. My channel, to be precise.”
“This is an outright attempt to steal my half of the business,” I stated, the words sharp.
He chuckled, a low, dismissive sound. “Steal? Marcus, please. You’re an old man with shaky hands and no family backing. You have no leverage left.”
“I founded this company with you,” I said, stepping closer. “My skills built its reputation.”
“Your skills are aging,” Julian countered, waving a dismissive hand. “And your ‘reputation’ is now a liability. The board voted. Three to one. Remember?”
He looked past my shoulder, his eyes glinting. “You have no support, Marcus. No one who truly believes in you anymore. What are you going to do? Sue your own family?”
A bitter laugh escaped my throat. “You consider this family, Julian?”
“It’s certainly more family than you have.” He delivered the line with chilling finality, then pushed past me, heading down the hallway.
Unbeknownst to him, a shadow detached itself from the doorway of the breakroom, just a few feet away. Leo Holloway had been standing there, frozen, listening to every word. His knuckles were white against the coffee mug he still held. Julian’s cruel words about “no family” and “no leverage” had landed with an unexpected weight, confirming the deeper malice beneath Julian’s casual contempt. Leo’s face was unreadable, but a quiet, dangerous resolve settled in his eyes.
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