Chapter 5 - The Corporate Lockout
At 8:30 AM, the financial district of Los Angeles was bustling with morning commuters.
Julian arrived at the forty-story glass tower that housed the headquarters of Sterling Global Capital, his navy suit wrinkled, his hair disheveled, and his mind spinning in absolute, unadulterated panic. Chloe trailed behind him, clutching her designer bag, her eyes wide with fear.
Standing at the grand glass entrance of the building were six armed Federal Marshals and eight uniformed private security officers wearing dark blue tactical gear.
A large, yellow legal poster was plastered across the double glass doors:
NOTICE OF IMMEDIATE CORPORATE LOCKOUT AND LAND LEASE SEIZURE. BY ORDER OF THE MONTGOMERY HERITAGE LAND TRUST. ALL STERLING GLOBAL CAPITAL OPERATIONS SUSPENDED.
A crowd of over two hundred Sterling Capital employees was gathered on the plaza, whispering, taking photos, and staring at the doors in utter shock.
“Out of my way!” Julian screamed, shoving through his employees, charging toward the head security guard. “I am Julian Sterling! I am the CEO of this company! I own this building!”
The lead Marshal stepped forward, putting a heavy hand against Julian’s chest, halting him cold.
“Mr. Sterling,” the Marshal said flatly. “This building is sealed under a Federal Land Injunction filed three hours ago by Montgomery, Vance & Hayes. You are barred from entering the property.”
“This is illegal!” Julian shrieked, his voice cracking hysterically. “My father built this firm! Sarah is my wife! She’s mentally incompetent! She’s strapped to a hospital bed right now!”
“Not anymore, Mr. Sterling,” a sharp, elegant voice echoed from behind the line of security guards.
The crowd of employees parted.
I walked out through the grand double doors of the building.
I was no longer wearing a torn hospital gown or a plastic ID wristband. I wore a tailored, floor-length ivory cashmere coat, my dark hair pulled back in a sleek, powerful knot. Beside me walked Dr. Vance, who had cleared me for outpatient mobility, along with three armed personal security guards hired by the Montgomery Trust.
Julian froze. His eyes went wide, darting from my face down to my pregnant belly, which was now protected under the soft folds of my ivory coat.
“Sarah?” Julian stammered, his voice dropping into a pathetic, desperate squeak. “Sarah... what is this? What have you done?”
I stepped down the granite stairs, stopping three feet above him, looking down at the man who had ordered me bound to a chair twelve hours ago.
“I took back what belongs to me, Julian,” I said softly, my voice carrying clearly across the silent plaza.
“Sarah, please!” Julian cried, taking a step toward me, his hands raised in supplication. “We’re a family! We’re having twins! I was just stressed! My mother forced me to sign those papers! It was Eleanor's idea! Chloe manipulated me!”
Beside him, Chloe gasped in absolute betrayal. “Julian! You liar! You told me you hated her! You told me you were going to put her in an asylum so we could take her money!”
The surrounding crowd of employees erupted into sharp whispers, dozens of smartphones rising into the air to record the entire confrontation.
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I looked at Chloe, then turned my gaze back to Julian.
“You said last night that you didn't need my permission, Julian,” I said, pulling a gold key from my coat pocket and letting it dangle from my fingers. “Well, today... I don't need yours.”
