Chapter 202
Elara’s POV
The call came three days after they brought the twins home.
Detective Rivera’s voice was calm, measured in a way that immediately put Elara on edge. “We found Julius Wellington’s body. He washed up on the shore near Edgewater this morning.”
Elara’s hand tightened on the phone. “Is he dead?”
“No. He’s alive but barely. Multiple broken bones, severe burns, hypothermia from being in the water. He’s at Bergen Medical Center under police guard. The doctors say it’s a miracle he survived at all.”
Marcus took the phone from Elara’s hand. “How long has he been conscious?”
“He woke up about an hour ago. He’s been asking for you, Mr. Thorne. Says he’ll only talk to you and your wife.”
“Why would we possibly want to talk to him?”
“Because he keeps saying there’s more coming. That you need to know what you’re up against. His exact words were ‘They need to understand what they’ve walked into.”
Marcus looked at Elara. She could see the question in his eyes before he asked it.
“Do you want to see him?”
Elara thought about Julius holding Catherine over the water, about the way he’d smiled before his boat exploded, about the terror of watching her babies nearly slide into the river. Every instinct screamed to stay far away from the man who’d caused all of that.
But she also thought about the encrypted messages Detective Rivera had found, about the partner who was still out there, about “phase two” that was apparently already in motion.
“Yes,” Elara said. “I want answers.”
They left the twins with Mimi and Dante, both of whom had basically moved into the penthouse since the kidnapping. Elara kissed Alexander and Catherine goodbye and tried not to think about how hard it was to leave them even for a few hours.
The drive to New Jersey felt longer than it should have. Marcus drove in silence, his hands tight on the steering wheel. Elara stared out the window and tried to prepare herself for seeing Julius again.
Bergen Medical Center was crawling with police. Officers stood outside Julius’s room, checked IDs before letting anyone near the secure wing, made Marcus and Elara go through metal detectors even though Detective Rivera had vouched for them.
“He’s heavily sedated for the pain,” a doctor warned them before they went in. “But he’s lucid. Just don’t expect him to stay conscious for long. His body is shutting down.”
“How long does he have?” Marcus asked.
16:11 Thu, May 14
Chapter 202
“Days, maybe a week if we’re lucky. The injuries are too extensive. His organs are failing
The doctor opened the door and Elara got her first look at Julius since the explosion.
He looked like something pulled from a nightmare. Burns covered the left side of his face and neck, angry red and blistered. His right arm was in a cast, left leg elevated in traction. Machines beeped around him, monitoring vitals that were clearly struggling.
But his eyes were open and alert. When he saw Marcus and Elara walk in, he smiled.
“There they are. Ohh, my big happy family.”
Elara felt Marcus tense beside her. She put her hand on his arm, a silent reminder not to do anything that would get them thrown out before they got answers.
“You’re such a psychopath, Julius. Why did you ask for us?” Marcus said.
“Because you deserve to know the truth. You won this round, congratulations. But you have no idea what you’ve actually walked into.”
“Then tell us.”
Julius coughed and winced, the movement clearly causing him pain. “The kidnapping wasn’t just about revenge for Aurora. That was part of it, sure. But it was also a test.”
“A test for what?”
“To see how far I could push you. How much you could take before you broke. To identify weaknesses in your security and your relationships.” Julius’s smile widened despite the burns pulling at his skin. “And you failed spectacularly.”
Elara stepped closer to the bed. “You nearly killed our children. You traumatized my family. And for what? To prove some point about revenge?”
“I proved that Marcus Thorne isn’t untouchable. That his money and power can’t protect the people he loves. That was valuable information.”
“Valuable to who?”
“To the people who are coming next.”
Marcus moved to stand beside Elara. “What people? Who are you working with?”
“That’s the fun part. I’m not telling you. But I will give you a hint.” Julius paused to catch his breath, his chest rattling with fluid. “You think Aurora was the only person Marcus hurt in his rise to the top? You think Penelope was the only family member with a grudge? You’re so naive it’s almost sad.”
“Stop talking in riddles and tell us what we’re up against.”
“Where’s the fun in that? You want answers, you’re going to have to work for them. Just like I had to work to take your children.”
Elara felt rage boiling in her chest. “This is a game to you. Even now, dying in a hospital bed, you’re still playing games.”
207
betore the next attack came?
The machines in Julius’s room finally stabilized. The doctors stepped back, looking exhausted Julius was still alive, sull conscious, still smiling despite everything.
He looked directly at Elara through the window and mouthed two words.
“They’re coming.”
Then he closed his eyes and the smile remained on his burned face.
Marcus pulled Elara away from the window. “Let’s go home. Back to the twins.”
They drove back to Manhattan in silence. Elara kept checking her phone, waiting for news that Julius had died or that the police had found something in those encrypted messages.
Nothing came.
When they got back to the penthouse, Mimi met them at the door. “The babies are fine. They’ve been perfect angels all day. But Elara, you need to see this.”
She handed over a tablet showing a news article that had just been published.
THORNE INDUSTRIES UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR SECURITIES FRAUD
Anonymous tip leads SEC to examine questionable transactions dating back five years
CEO Marcus Thorne denies all allegations
Elara looked at Marcus. “You didn’t tell me about an SEC investigation,”
“Because there isn’t one. Or there wasn’t until about three hours ago based on this timestamp.”
“This is phase two,” Elara said quietly. “Julius wasn’t lying. They’re coming for your company now.”
Marcus’s phone started ringing. His lawyers, his board members, investors demanding answers. Within minutes the calls multiplied, everyone wanting to know if the allegations were true.
Elara went to the nursery where Alexander and Catherine were sleeping peacefully, completely unaware that their family was under attack again.
She stood watching them breathe and thought about Julius’s warning.
Bigger branches. Stronger branches.
Whatever was coming next, they needed to be ready.
