Victoria: Who do you think you are, barging onto my private party? Guards, remove this man immediately!
Julian: I asked a question, old woman. And if you speak again before I allow it, you won't like what happens next.
Victoria: The nerve! Do you know who I am? I am Victoria Vance! I own this estate and half the docks in this city!
Julian: I know exactly who you are, Victoria. A cruel bully who likes to hit defenseless young women.
Julian slowly turned around, holding the open pocket watch directly in front of Victoria's face.
The bright deck lights caught the polished gold surface, reflecting the intricate royal crest deeply carved into the metal.
Victoria's eyes widened in absolute horror, her face draining of all color in a single second.
Victoria: That... that watch... where did you get that?
Julian: You recognize it, don't you? You know who this belongs to.
Victoria: No... no, that's impossible! He died twenty years ago! The whole family perished in the fire!
Julian: Lies travel fast, Victoria. But the truth travels further.
Elena looked up from the floor, wiping the tears from her red cheek as she stared at the tall stranger standing above her like a mountain.
Elena: Sir... that watch belonged to my father. It's the only thing I have left of him.
Julian: I know, little sister.
A collective gasp ripped through the crowd of wealthy guests, their eyes darting between the maid on the floor and the powerful man in the trench coat.
Victoria: Sister?! She's a penniless orphan! A common servant girl working for minimum wage!
Julian: She is Elena Sterling. The rightful heiress to the Sterling Global Empire, the vast trust fund, and every dollar you stole twenty years ago.
Victoria: You're insane! Security! Where is my security team?
Four heavy-set security guards rushed onto the deck, pulling their batons, but Julian didn't even flinch.
He calmly reached into his coat and pulled out a thick, leather-bound legal document, tossing it onto the table beside the broken wine glasses.
Julian: My private tactical team is surrounding this yacht as we speak. Try anything, and you will be facing federal charges by midnight.
Victoria: Federal charges? For what? Slapping a clumsy maid?
Julian: For grand theft, fraud, forged estate wills, and the unlawful imprisonment of the Sterling family bloodline.
Elena: Julian...? Are you really my brother? My mother told me I had a brother who survived, but they said you disappeared...
Julian dropped to one knee on the wet wooden deck, completely ignoring the wine stains on his expensive pants, and reached out his gloved hand to lift Elena up.
Julian: I spent fifteen years looking for you, Elena. I searched every orphanage, every foster home, every city record in the country.
Elena: She told me I owed her family money... she said my parents left behind millions in debt and that I had to work as her servant to pay it off!
Julian: Your parents left behind three billion dollars, Elena. And this woman stole every cent of it while keeping you in chains.