Chapter 14 - A STRANGER AT THE GATE
Before they could leave for the corporate headquarters in downtown Los Angeles, a sleek silver sports car pulled up the driveway, gravel crunching under its low tires.
The driver’s door opened, and a man in his late thirties stepped out. He wore a tailored charcoal suit, possessing features striking similar to Jake’s—the same sharp jawline, the same piercing blue eyes—but his expression carried a bitter, cynical edge.
It was Julian Mercer—Jake’s estranged half-brother, who had left the country six years ago after a bitter falling out over their father’s will.
Jake’s posture shifted, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stepped in front of Emily instinctively.
“Julian,” Jake said, his tone neutral, guarded.
Julian slowly walked up the steps, his hands shoved casually into his trousers pockets. He looked at the estate, then at Emily, and finally at Jake.
“Hello, big brother,” Julian said, his voice laced with faint irony. “I heard you were building a fairytale down in Laguna Beach. Candles, sunset, baby boy, redeemed soul... very romantic.”
“What are you doing here, Julian?” Jake asked directly. “You haven’t stepped foot in California in six years.”
“Well, when Marcus Thorne calls you in Geneva and offers you thirty million dollars for your dormant equity stake in the Mercer Trust, a man tends to take a flight,” Julian replied smoothly, a cold smile touching his lips.
Emily stepped up beside Jake, her eyes narrowing at Julian. “You sold your voting rights to Thorne?”
“Not yet, sister-in-law,” Julian said, looking at Emily with a mixture of curiosity and resentment. “I came to see if my dear brother was still the arrogant bastard who pushed me out of Dad’s company, or if this whole ‘reformed family man’ persona is just a clever PR campaign to keep the stock price high.”
Jake didn’t snap. Three years ago, he would have grabbed Julian by the collar and thrown him off the property. Instead, Jake took a slow breath, his voice remaining deeply calm.
“I was an arrogant bastard, Julian,” Jake admitted openly. “I treated you terribly six years ago. I prioritized control over family, and I drove you away. I’ve carried that regret for a long time.”
Julian’s sarcastic smile faltered slightly, caught off guard by the absence of anger in Jake’s voice.
“Don’t do that,” Julian muttered, his brow furrowing. “Don’t play the saint with me.”
May you like
“I’m no saint,” Jake said, stepping closer to his brother. “I’m a man who almost lost his wife, his children, and his sanity because I thought power made a man whole. If you came here to hurt me by selling to Thorne, I understand your anger. But if you came here because you want what was stolen from you six years ago, then sit down at this table with us right now. Let’s talk like brothers.”
Julian stared at Jake, searching for any sign of deception. For a long moment, the only sound was the wind rustling through the ancient oak trees of Pasadena.
