Chapter 5 - THE HUNT BEGINS
The ballroom erupted into chaos as police sirens began to wail in the distance.
Multiple red and blue lights flashed through the high stained-glass windows of the venue.
Julian panicked.
If the ledger was in the hands of the authorities, he wouldn't just be bankrupt.
He would spend the rest of his life in maximum security prison.
"Run!" Julian yelled to his mother, scrambling to his feet.
He shoved past a group of startled guests, trying to make a dash for the side exit.
Sophia tried to grab his arm. "Julian, take me with you!"
"Get off me, you useless bitch!" Julian screamed, violently pushing Sophia to the ground.
Sophia hit the marble floor hard, staring at Julian in absolute shock as he abandoned her without hesitation.
"Let him run," Victoria said quietly as her father’s guards moved to intercept him.
Arthur looked at his daughter, slightly surprised.
"Why let him flee, Victoria?" Arthur asked.
"Because fear is a much sweeter punishment than an immediate arrest," Victoria answered, her eyes icy.
"Let him run like a rat in the streets."
"Let him see that nowhere on this earth is safe from me."
Julian burst through the back service doors into the rainy evening air.
His lungs burned as he sprinted through the dark alleyways behind the grand hotel.
Rain soaked his expensive tuxedo, ruining his hair and vision.
He had no money, no phone access, and no friends left.
Every single contact in his phone was tied to the Vance network.
He pulled out his phone, realizing his cell service was completely cut off.
Suddenly, every screen on the digital billboards lining the city streets flickered.
Julian stopped in the middle of the empty street, gasping for air.
He looked up.
On every massive screen in the city center, his face appeared.
Below his picture was a bold red text: WANTED FOR MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING.
A massive bounty was listed beneath his name.
"No... no, no, no!" Julian screamed into the rain, pulling at his hair.
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He was no longer a wealthy businessman.
He was hunted prey.
