Chapter 17 - The Parking Garage Rematch and the Last Threat
Two months after the boardroom restructuring, the city had settled back into its brisk autumn rhythm. Morgan Events Group was thriving under my unyielding leadership, trading at record highs on the stock exchange. Ethan was sitting in a maximum-security federal penitentiary three states away, while Madison was serving her sentence in a minimum-security facility down south.
On a crisp Friday evening, after finishing a late night reviewing international vendor contracts at headquarters, I drove down to Lark & Pine for a quiet dinner meeting with Julian.
I parked my car on Level Three of the underground parking garage—pulling directly into slot B-14. The exact same corner slot where my thirty-fifth birthday nightmare had begun.
I turned off the engine, stepped out of my car, and locked the doors, the fluorescent overhead lights buzzing faintly in the damp concrete space. For a brief second, I closed my eyes, remembering the cold shock of seeing Ethan and Madison embracing in the shadows.
'Penny for your thoughts?' a smooth voice echoed from the ramp behind me.
I spun around sharply, my hand sliding instinctively into my handbag. Julian stepped out from the shadows of the concrete pillar, wearing a dark wool overcoat, holding a single red rose in his hand.
I let out a breath, lowering my hand. 'You startled me, Julian. What are you doing down here?'
'I wanted to make sure you reached your car safely,' Julian said, walking toward me and handing me the rose with a warm, disarming smile. 'And perhaps... reclaim a memory in the very place where your remarkable journey began.'
I took the rose, smiling softly. 'You're remarkably brave, Julian, standing in the exact spot of the crime scene.'
'Not brave,' Julian corrected gently, stepping closer. 'Just certain that the past has no power over the woman standing right in front of me.'
Before I could reply, the harsh glare of a car’s high beams cut across the parking garage from the exit ramp. A sleek black sedan idled near the elevators, its engine purring loudly, the tinted driver’s side window rolling down halfway.
We both turned to look. Through the tinted glass, a shadowy figure stared directly at us. I couldn't see the face clearly in the dim light, but a cold, metallic glint flashed from the passenger seat as a burner phone was tossed out the window, clattering across the concrete floor near my feet.
Julian stepped protectively in front of me, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the departing vehicle peeling out of the garage toward the street.
I walked over slowly, picked up the burner phone, and pressed the flashing screen. A single text message lit up the dark:
*'This isn't over yet, Clara. Blood runs deeper than boardrooms.'*
I stared at the screen, my heart skipping a beat, before letting out a calm, unbothered breath. I slipped the phone into my pocket and looked up at Julian.
'Who do you think that was?' Julian asked, his expression grave.
I smiled, adjusting the red rose in my hand as we walked toward the elevator. 'Marcus’s second cousin? One of Ethan’s old cellblock contacts? It doesn't matter.'
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'Are you worried?' Julian asked, looking down at me.
'Worried?' I laughed softly as the elevator doors slid open. 'Julian, they tried to take my husband, my company, and my family name. And I buried them all. Let whoever is left try their luck.'
