The Tyrant's Return : From Beggar to Sovereign

Chapter 12: Broken Dreams at the Bank

Chloe fell into the wet mud right beside her twitching mother. She pulled Beatrice’s heavy head onto her lap, crying loudly as the rain water mixed with her bitter tears. She looked up at the legal officers, but their faces remained completely hard and cold. They didn't care about her pain. They just kept throwing the expensive chairs, the gold picture frames, and the silk clothes into the giant white trucks.

Julian Vance watched everything from the edge of the driveway. His heart was pounding like a wild drum inside his chest. He looked at Chloe, then at the mud, and a deep wave of shame and terror hit him. He could not stay here. He needed to save his own skin. Without saying a single word to his wife, Julian turned around and began to run down the street as fast as his limping legs could carry him.

"Julian!" Chloe screamed after him, her voice cracking with pure heartbreak. "Where are you going? Do not leave us here!"

Julian did not look back. He ran until his lungs burned for air. He ran past the grand houses of their rich neighbors, who were all peeking through their windows, pointing fingers and laughing at the fallen prince. Julian knew there was only one place left to go. He needed to find the one man who controlled all his family's wealth. He needed to see Mr. Sterling, the chief manager of the Grand Imperial Bank.

The Grand Imperial Bank was the largest financial building in the commercial district. It was made of massive white stones and giant gold pillars, looking like a heavy castle for money. This was the bank that held all the multi-million dollar loans for his father's real estate empire. Julian’s father had known the bank manager for twenty years. They drank costly wine together. Surely, the manager would help him stop the bleeding.

Twenty minutes later, Julian arrived at the front steps of the giant bank. He was panting heavily, his expensive leather jacket soaked with sweat and rain. His white medical bandages were loose and dirty, exposing a bit of his swollen, broken jaw. He looked like a wild crazy man from the slums, not a wealthy heir.

He tried to push past the heavy glass revolving doors at the main entrance.

"Stop right there!" a loud, booming voice commanded.

Two massive bank security guards stepped out from the shadows of the gold pillars. They were built like giant mountains, wearing thick blue uniforms and carrying heavy black iron batons on their belts. They blocked the doorway completely, their eyes full of deep suspicion.

"Get out of the way!" Julian yelled, his voice thick and muffled behind his loose face cloths. He tried to shove his way between them, using his old arrogant tone. "Do you know who I am? I am Julian Vance! My father is the owner of the Vance Real Estate Empire! We own half the buildings on this street! Let me in right now, I need to see the chief manager!"

The two guards looked at each other, then they looked down at Julian’s dirty clothes, his loose bandages, and his frantic, messy appearance. They thought he was just another poor street beggar who had lost his mind because of poverty.

"Nice joke, kid," the first guard scoffed, his face twisting into an angry frown. "The real Young Master Julian is a rich prince who drives a red sports car and wears suits that shine. He does not look like a zombie from a horror movie. Stop using a dead billionaire's name to cause trouble. Get off the steps before we get rough."

"I am not lying!" Julian screamed, his anger exploding as he tried to punch the guard in the chest. "Call Manager Sterling down here! He is my father's best friend! He will have you both fired and thrown into a dungeon!"

But Julian was weak and injured from the night before. His small fist did not even make the large guard flinch.

The second guard lost his patience entirely. He stepped forward, grabbed Julian by his leather jacket collar, and twisted him around with immense force. "You were warned, trash."

The guard raised his large hand and struck Julian hard across his bandaged face.

Crack!

The heavy blow landed right on Julian’s already broken jaw. A sharp, blinding pain shot straight through his skull, making his vision turn completely black for a second. Julian let out a high, muffled scream of pure agony. Before he could recover, the guard kicked him hard in the stomach, sending him flying backward down the steep stone steps of the bank.

Julian tumbled down the hard stairs, his body bouncing painfully against the stone until he landed face down on the cold pavement at the bottom. His dirty bandages unraveled completely, leaving his bloody, swollen face exposed to the open air. He lay there groaning in the dirt, clutching his stomach, weeping like a pathetic child.

"Look at this low-life," the guards laughed from the top of the stairs, crossing their arms proudly. "Trying to play rich at our bank."

Just then, the heavy glass doors of the bank slid open smoothly.

A middle-aged man with sharp grey hair, wearing an incredibly polished tuxedo and a gold watch, stepped out onto the top step. This was Manager Sterling, the chief bank director. He had a thick leather folder tucked under his arm, and his eyes were cold and sharp like needles.

Julian looked up through his tears, his eyes lighting up with sudden hope. "Manager Sterling!" Julian gasped, dragging his bleeding body up the steps on his hands and knees. He reached his raw fingers toward the manager’s shiny leather shoes. "It is me! Julian! Please tell these dogs to stop! Tell them who I am! My father needs the emergency funds opened right now! Someone is destroying our family!"

Manager Sterling walked down the steps slowly, stopping just one foot away from Julian’s reaching hands. He looked down at the bleeding, broken young man, his face showing absolutely no warmth, no friendship, and no mercy. He didn't even bend down to help him up. Instead, his mouth twisted into a cold, vicious sneer.

"I know exactly who you are, Julian," Manager Sterling said, his voice flat and empty. "Or rather, I know who you used to be. You used to be a wealthy customer. But now, you are just a bankrupt beggar with nothing but bad debts to your name."

Julian froze, his hands trembling in the dirt. "What? But my father's twenty luxury towers! Our malls! You promised us the credit line would never close!"

Manager Sterling let out a short, nasty laugh, tossing a copy of a legal contract onto Julian’s wet back. "Your towers and malls were sold to the supreme reserve at dawn. The new Chairman of the Vance Group bought every single piece of your family’s soul. My bank answers only to him now."

Manager Sterling slowly bent down, his shadow completely covering Julian’s shaking body. He leaned close to Julian’s ear, his voice dropping to a low, chilling whisper that made Julian's blood turn into absolute ice.

The manager whispers in Julian's ear: "The man whose face you insulted owns your family's soul now.”