Chapter 11
Arthur’s confrontation with Cassian happened in a law office with five attorneys present.
No private father-son meeting.
Cassian would not give him one.
Arthur looked furious.
“You turned family records over to regulators.”
Cassian sat across from him.
“You used client accounting to pay personal expenses.”
“You don’t understand the old system.”
“Then explain it.”
Arthur’s lawyer intervened.
Cassian ignored him.
“You forged my name to Lena.”
Arthur said nothing.
“You let my son believe I rejected him.”
Silence.
“You used his support account to hide money.”
Arthur finally spoke.
“I built that firm.”
Cassian stared.
There it was.
Not denial.
Ownership.
“I protected Vale & Vale before you were old enough to spell fiduciary.”
“And that entitled you to take client money?”
“I moved funds temporarily.”
“Without authorization.”
“They were restored.”
“Sometimes.”
Arthur’s mouth tightened.
Cassian continued.
“Why Jace’s school?”
Arthur looked away.
“Because you refused to listen.”
“I didn’t know he existed.”
“You refused to listen to me.”
That was different.
Arthur meant the restructuring.
Cassian understood.
“You would have ended the old firm.”
“I was professionalizing it.”
“You were gutting family control.”
“Yes.”
Arthur looked disgusted.
“Everything I built.”
Cassian leaned forward.
“You built a system where nobody asked why three million dollars was being charged under the name of a child nobody could see.”
Arthur’s face hardened.
“I gave that child everything he needed.”
“No.”
Cassian’s voice became colder.
“You gave him money.”
Arthur went silent.
Cassian continued.
“You took his father.”
For the first time, Arthur looked affected.
Cassian did not enjoy it.
He simply kept going.
“You took thirteen years from me. Thirteen from him. Then when your bookkeeping became dangerous, you put him in front of a camera and hoped I’d destroy myself on his face.”
“I never told him to attack Noah.”
“No.”
Cassian nodded.
“That matters.”
Arthur seemed relieved for half a second.
Then Cassian finished:
“You only decided an attack on Noah was useful after it happened.”
Arthur looked down.
The regulators would determine the rest.
Cassian did not threaten him.
Did not promise prison.
Did not say he would destroy him.
He stood.
Arthur looked up.
“Cassian.”
Cassian stopped.
“I did all of this for the family.”
Cassian turned back.
“No.”
His voice stayed quiet.
May you like
“You did it for control.”
Then he left.
