Julian: You can't remove me! I own thirty-four percent of the voting shares!
Board Member Harris: You owned those shares conditionally, Julian. The clause explicitly revoked them in the event of criminal fraud against the company treasury.
Julian: This isn't company business! This was a private family inheritance dispute!
Detective Miller: Embezzling twelve million dollars through corporate shell accounts makes it very much a federal business issue, Mr. Vance.
Detective Miller motioned to his partner, who unclipped a second set of handcuffs.
Clara: Julian, tell them the truth! You told me you would take the blame if we got caught!
Julian: Get away from me, you greedy parasite!
Clara: Me? You were the one who researched the bank routing numbers! You're the one who hired the hacker to wipe Richard's home computer!
Julian: Shut up, Clara! Everything you say is being recorded!
Clara: I don't care anymore! If I'm going to prison, you are going down with me!
Clara spun toward the second detective, her makeup smeared across her cheeks from hot tears.
Clara: The flash drive is in his left inner jacket pocket! It has the offshore wire codes and the forged hospital release forms!
Julian clutched his tuxedo jacket tight against his ribs, stepping back toward the projection screen.
Julian: Don't you dare touch me!
Detective Miller: Turn around, Julian. Place your hands behind your back.
Julian looked wildly around the room, meeting the cold, condemning stares of his lifelong colleagues and friends.
Not a single person moved to defend him.
Julian: Mia... please. Tell them this was a misunderstanding. I bought you that pony when you were seven!
Mia: Dad bought that pony. You just signed the delivery receipt because dad was in chemotherapy.
Julian: I loved your father!
Mia: You loved his money. And you couldn't stand that he loved me more than his pride.
Detective Miller stepped behind Julian, clicking the steel cuffs firmly around his wrists.
The metallic snap rang through the silent room like a gunshot.
Julian: You won't survive a week running this company, Sarah! The investors will pull out by Monday!
Aunt Sarah: The investors are already applauding, Julian.
Across the room, several board members began clapping, followed by the entire crowd of guests.
Clara sobbed openly as the second officer escorted her through the side exit into the rainy night.
Julian was led out directly down the center aisle, passing within inches of Mia.
Julian: You ruined everything, Mia.
Mia: No, Uncle Julian. You did that when you shoved Clara to the floor to save yourself.
Julian lowered his head as the ballroom doors slammed shut behind him.
The room remained still until Aunt Sarah walked over and wrapped both arms around Mia's shoulders.
Aunt Sarah: It's over, baby. You're safe now.
Mia: It's not completely over yet, Aunt Sarah.
Aunt Sarah: What do you mean?
Mia pointed her phone toward the projector screen one last time.
Mia: We still have to show them what dad wanted us to build.
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