He had been trying to erase something.
Khloe pulled her hand away from him.
“What did you delete?”
“Nothing.”
“You were typing.”
“I was calling counsel.”
“You did not make a call.”
His voice sharpened.
“Khloe, stay out of this.”
The command landed harder than he intended.
She stared at him.
Until that moment, Julian had spoken to her in polished compliments, soft reassurances, and carefully staged promises.
The man standing beside her now sounded like someone she had never met.
My father stepped forward.
“How much of this can be handled privately?” he asked the investigator.
She finally looked at him.
“None of it.”
His face tightened.
He glanced around the ballroom and saw what I saw: investors whispering, guests recording despite requests to stop, and employees of Julian’s company edging away from their tables.
“This family has a reputation,” he said quietly.
The investigator’s expression did not change.
“Then you should be concerned about the documents bearing your signature.”
My father stopped breathing for a second.
I had not known about those documents.
Neither had Khloe.
Julian moved before anyone else could react.
He pointed at me.
“She set this up.
She has hated me from the beginning.
Ask her why she came here in uniform.
Ask her why she started a countdown like some kind of performance.”
“I started the countdown because the warrant team was waiting for confirmation that the termination notice had been served,” I said.
“I came in uniform because I came directly from the review board.”
“You wanted an audience.”
“No.
You invited the audience.”
That silenced him.
The engagement party had not been my choice.
The ballroom, the investors, the speeches about his contract, and the cameras had all been arranged by Julian.
I had planned to ask Khloe and my father to step into a private room before the officers entered.
I wanted to warn them not to interfere and tell them the engagement announcement should be postponed.
Khloe threw the wine before I could say a word.
My father called security before I could reach them.
Julian dropped money at my feet because he believed humiliation would make me leave.
Every part of the spectacle belonged to them.
The investigator opened another folder.
She asked my father whether he had signed a personal guarantee connected to a bridge loan for Julian’s company.
He looked at Julian.
“You told me that was a temporary instrument.”
“It was,” Julian said.
“You said the government payments were already approved.”
“They were delayed.”
“The contract had compliance problems, and you asked me for more money?”
Julian lowered his voice.
“This is not the place.”
My father gave a hollow laugh.
