Chapter 10 - Julian Tries to Run
Julian stopped coming to the hospital.
Then stopped going to work.
His assistant said he was ill.
He was not.
Investigators discovered he had transferred $4.6 million into foreign accounts over ten days.
Departure flight booked.
Zurich.
Ross moved quickly.
A court froze the transfer.
Julian was stopped before boarding.
No dramatic airport chase.
His ticket simply stopped working.
Then investigators interviewed him.
Julian blamed Vanessa.
Predictable.
He claimed the affair was real but the financial plan belonged to her.
He denied knowing anything about Arthur’s medications.
Then Ross showed him emails.
Julian had written:
How much longer can his system take it?
Vanessa replied:
Doctor says he’s already fragile.
Julian went pale.
Arthur was not shown the full investigative file.
Only what his attorneys were legally allowed to share.
Enough.
Julian began cooperating.
Not nobly.
Efficiently.
He surrendered passwords.
Financial records.
Communications.
Then he revealed something Arthur had not expected.
Vanessa had not started altering Arthur’s supplements on her own.
A concierge health consultant had suggested an unregulated regimen months earlier.
Vanessa then manipulated how Arthur used it.
The distinction mattered.
This was not a movie vial labeled poison.
It was a pattern of misuse, concealment, and interference that required medical analysis.
Arthur appreciated that investigators refused to oversimplify.
Then Julian claimed:
“I told her to stop.”
“When?” Ross asked.
“Two months ago.”
“Why?”
“Arthur looked worse.”
“Concern?”
Julian looked away.
“Risk.”
At least he was honest.
Then another admission.
The Malibu house was Julian’s idea.
The inheritance-backed financing was Vanessa’s.
The company liquidation was both.
The forged power documents came from Julian’s lawyer.
The hospital bribery attempt was Vanessa alone.
Different responsibilities.
Same conspiracy.
By evening, Julian had lost his job.
His assets were frozen.
His professional licenses entered review.
Vanessa still had no idea he was cooperating.
She called him eleven times.
He did not answer.
Then she called Arthur.
“Have you heard from Julian?”
Arthur almost laughed.
“Why would I?”
“Business.”
“I thought you handled that.”
She became quiet.
Then:
“You sound better.”
Arthur looked around his hospital room.
He was sitting in a chair now.
No oxygen.
Stronger.
“Yes.”
Vanessa stopped breathing for half a second.
Arthur heard it.
Finally, he decided.
Enough hiding.
“Come tomorrow morning.”
“Why?”
May you like
“I think we should talk about the future.”
She arrived thirty minutes early.
