Chapter 10 - THE TRUE MEASURE OF WEALTH
The doors unlocked at dawn. Julian walked out, holding Emily’s hand. The police moved in to arrest him, but they were stopped by a swarm of federal agents.
Overnight, while Julian was in the OR, he had used a burner phone to send a massive data file to the SEC and the FBI—a file containing every shred of evidence of Marcus Thorne's embezzlement, fraud, and blackmail. Julian had kept it as insurance for years. Marcus was handcuffed and dragged away, his face pale with shock.
Three months later.
The sun shone brightly over a massive, sprawling estate in the Hamptons. Julian sat on the porch, a cup of coffee in hand, wearing a simple t-shirt and jeans. He had regained his company, but stepped down as CEO, launching the Lily & Emily Foundation to fund pediatric care for uninsured children worldwide.
The screen door banged open. Lily, her cheeks rosy and full of life, ran across the grass, chasing a golden retriever. Emily walked out behind her, carrying a tray of cookies. She smiled at Julian—not the terrified, broken smile of a desperate child in a parking lot, but the bright, secure smile of a daughter.
She walked over and handed Julian the old, one-eyed teddy bear.
"You don't need him anymore?" Julian asked softly.
May you like
"No," Emily said, throwing her arms around his neck. "We have you now."
How did this shift in the billionaire's perspective land for you, given the dramatic American-style medical stakes?
