Chapter 3 - Venom in the Bloodline
William stood in the private waiting suite on the eighth floor of the hospital, his gaze fixed on the skyline outside. Below, the city buzzed with oblivious life, but inside his mind, a storm was brewing.
Julian Parker—his cousin—had been brought into the family enterprise five years ago out of a sense of obligation. Julian was handsome, charismatic, and persuasive, but beneath his polished exterior lay a desperate gambling addiction and a ruthless greed that William had spent years trying to keep in check.
"Julian targeted Martha intentionally, didn't he?" William asked, his voice deathly quiet.
Arthur Vance nodded grimly. "We traced the financial trail. Julian knew Martha Reynolds was your former teacher. He knew she held a life-long legal trust established by your late grandfather—a trust that granted her three percent of non-voting advisory shares in Parker Global Holdings."
Emma, who was sitting on a plush leather sofa while Noah slept peacefully in a luxury bassinet brought by the hospital staff, looked up in confusion. "Nana has shares in a company?"
William turned to her, his expression softening with immense respect. "My grandfather was a wise man, Emma. Before he passed away, he wanted to make sure that the people who spent their lives building society—like teachers, nurses, and firefighters—had a voice in how big corporations ran their businesses. He gave Martha those shares thirty years ago as a thank-you for helping me."
"Those shares didn't carry dividend payouts," Arthur explained. "Which is why Martha never received millions in cash. But they carried an unprecedented clause: if Martha Reynolds ever passed away without a legal adult heir, her advisory shares would automatically revert to the chief financial officer's discretionary fund."
Emma’s breath hitched in her throat. "Julian... Julian wanted Nana to... to stop taking her pills?"
"He didn't just want it," William said, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles turned white. "He engineered it. He used a fake ATM service technician to steal her pension card, then placed a freeze on her prescription deliveries through a third-party pharmacy app he secretly funded."
A sudden knock at the door interrupted them.
The door opened, and Julian Parker walked in. He was wearing an impeccable tailored Italian suit, holding a silver walking cane, and carrying an expression of contrived, dramatic sympathy.
"William!" Julian exclaimed, rushing into the room with open arms. "I came as soon as I heard! The news about your old teacher is devastating! How is the poor dear holding up?"
William didn't move an inch. He didn't offer a handshake or a hug. He simply stared at his cousin with eyes that could freeze steel.
Julian’s smile faltered slightly, though he quickly recovered. He glanced over at Emma and the sleeping baby. "And who are these little angels? Ah, Martha’s grandchildren, I presume? Terrible tragic circumstances... poverty really is a disease in this city, isn't it?"
"The only disease in this city, Julian," William said, his voice echoing off the glass walls, "is the parasite standing in front of me."
Julian blinked, taking a half-step back. "William... what on earth are you talking about? I came here to offer financial support! My personal charity fund can cover the hospital bills—"
William took three slow, deliberate strides forward until he was inches from Julian's face.
"I know about the ATM at 4th and Main," William whispered. "I know about Apex Pharmacy Logistics. And I know about the three percent trust clause."
Julian’s face went stiff. The warmth left his eyes instantly, replaced by a cold, calculating malice. He leaned heavily on his cane and let out a soft, mocking laugh.
"Well, well, William," Julian murmured, dropping his soft tone completely. "Always the great savior, aren't you? Always protecting the orphans and the poor teachers."
"You tried to kill a woman who gave thirty-six years of her life to children," William said, his jaw locked tight.
"I tried to secure what should have been mine!" Julian spat back under his breath. "That old woman was sitting on leverage that could have given me control of the board! She was a nobody living in a broken apartment, eating canned soup! What good were those shares doing her?"
Emma stood up from the sofa, her hands trembling, but her posture straight and proud. "My Nana is not a nobody! She taught hundreds of people how to be kind! Something you clearly never learned!"
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Julian looked at Emma with utter disdain. "Quiet, girl. Adults are speaking."
Before Julian could take another breath, William grabbed him by the lapels of his thousand-dollar jacket, slamming him back against the door frame with terrifying force.
