Part 2: When a billionaire heir stepped out into his mansion's hallway at 3:00 AM, his foot struck a frayed mattress where a terrified woman was forced to sleep.

The basement holding cell was cold, damp, and lit by a single overhead bulb that swung gently on a frayed cord. Julian was tied to a heavy wooden chair in the center of the room, a cut above his eye bleeding down his pale, terrified face.

The heavy iron door creaked open, and Victor walked in, his dark coat damp from the rain outside. He stood before his uncle, his expression completely unreadable.

“Victor! Please!” Julian begged, his voice trembling hysterically. “It wasn't me! The investors… they threatened to ruin me if I didn't give them access to the girl’s trust!”

“You brought armed mercenaries into my home,” Victor said, his voice terrifyingly calm. “You put a target on a girl who trusted this family.”

“She’s not family!” Julian spat out, desperation making him bold. “She’s an orphan with a fifty-million-dollar estate! We could have split it, Victor! We could have controlled the entire coast!”

Victor stepped closer, leaning down until his eyes were level with Julian’s. “She is under my protection. That makes her more important to me than any estate or shipping dock.”

Victor turned to Marco, who stood at the cell door. “Hand the evidence files, the security tapes, and Julian over to the federal prosecutors at sunrise. Strip him of all family assets and ensure his name is scrubbed from the Moretti trust.”