Chapter 2
The man was Julian Vance. To the public, he was a celebrity mindfulness advisor and relationship guru.
He was the one who had slowly brainwashed my mom, convincing her that my dad's sacrifices were "low-value drag" and a "stumbling block on her path to self-actualization."
He was also the one who used fancy terms like "asset isolation" and "risk mitigation" to trick my mom into transferring all her personal assets under her company’s name, completely freezing my dad out.
And now, Julian was sitting at our dining table like a victorious king. He was even sitting in my dad's usual chair.
"Chloe is such a bright girl," Julian said, raising his wine glass toward my mom.
"Victoria, look at her. She’s inherited your rationality and decisiveness. Those are the qualities of a true leader."
My mom looked at him with sheer adoration in her eyes.
"Of course she did. Look who her mother is."
I kept my head down, cutting my steak, and offered a polite smile. "You flatter me, Julian."
"Actually, I've always been curious. How did you manage to build such deep trust with my mom? I want to learn from you so I can help ease her burden at the company in the future."
This played right into my mom's desires. She immediately perked up.
"That's a wonderful idea! Chloe, Julian is actually helping me plan a new high-end wellness venture. Since you're about to declare your major in college, why don't you shadow Julian and learn how real business works?"
A sharp glint flashed behind Julian’s designer glasses. He played coy, waving his hand. "Oh, I don't know, Victoria. Chloe is still just a kid."
"I'm not a kid anymore."
I looked up, meeting his eyes.
"Julian, I want to be just like you and Mom. Would you be willing to teach me?"
Seeing the "sincerity" in my eyes, his guard finally dropped. He smiled warmly.
"Of course. It would be my absolute pleasure."
Perfect.
The fish had taken the bait.
My dad thought I had destroyed his weapon, but in reality, I had only disarmed him to keep him safe from a fight he couldn't win.
***