Chapter 7: A Deal Sealed In Shadows

The cold air of the city hit her as soon as she stepped outside. She pulled her coat tighter around her body, trying to shake off the unease that clung to her like a second skin. She walked for not too long, flagged down a taxi, and got in without another word.

The cab sped through the busy streets of Manhattan, the lights blurring past her. Lexi stared out the window, her thoughts a tangled mess. Julian had no idea what was coming for him.

Her phone vibrated in her hand, breaking her train of thought. Without thinking, she answered it.

"Ms. Thorn?" The voice on the other end was strained, anxious.

"Yes?" Lexi replied, her tone sharp.

"This is the facility where your father is being treated," the voice said. "We need you to come down here immediately. Your father is... he’s throwing a fit. He's not cooperating, and it's getting dangerous. He keeps asking for you."

Lexi started panicking. Her father had been in the institution for years now, struggling with the fallout from the bankruptcy scandal that had ruined their family. He hadn't been the same since the collapse. But hearing he was agitated—more so than usual—sent a surge of panic through her.

"I'm on my way," she said, her voice steady despite the rising panic inside her.

She quickly hung up and leaned her head against the seat, trying to steady her breathing. She gave the taxi driver the location of the mental institution. Her father had always been her rock, the man who had raised her with love and ambition. The last thing she wanted was for him to fall apart completely.

When the taxi pulled up in front of the mental institution, Lexi didn’t wait for the driver to open the door. She gave him some dollar bills and rushed inside quickly.

The front desk nurse looked up at her with a weary expression. "Ms. Thorn," she said, standing quickly. "We’ve been expecting you. Follow me."

Lexi didn’t speak as she followed the nurse down the sterile, brightly lit hallways, her stomach twisting tighter with each step. She could hear her father’s voice echoing in the distance—loud, panicked, and desperate.

The nurse opened a door to a small, plain room, where Lexi’s father was pacing, his face red with anger and frustration. His once sharp eyes were now clouded with confusion, his hands trembling as he muttered to himself.

"Dad!" Lexi called, her voice breaking as she stepped inside.

Her father’s eyes snapped toward her, and for a moment, there was recognition—a flicker of the man he used to be. But then it faded, replaced by fear and agitation. "Lexi! Lexi, they’re trying to control me! They’re trying to make me forget! I won’t let them, I won’t!"

Lexi’s heart shattered as she rushed forward, wrapping her arms around him, trying to soothe him. "Dad, it’s okay. It’s me, it’s Lexi. You’re safe here, alright? Everything’s going to be okay."

But her father pulled away, his eyes wild with confusion. "They said you abandoned me. They said you’d forgotten me!"

"I haven’t forgotten you," Lexi said, her voice shaking. "I’m here, Dad. I’ll always be here."

She tried to pull him back into her embrace, but he resisted, his hands pushing against her. "No! No, you don’t understand! You have to get me out of here. They can’t keep me locked up forever. You have to fight for me, Lexi!"

Tears burned in her eyes as she knelt in front of him, taking his hands in hers. "I will, Dad. I’ll fight. I promise you. Just… just calm down. Let me help you."

For a brief moment, he seemed to calm, his shoulders slumping in exhaustion. But the fear was still there, lurking in his eyes.

Lexi sat beside her father, her hands gently stroking his hair as she tried to steady his breathing. "You're going to be okay, Dad," she whispered, though she wasn't sure if she believed it herself. "We’re going to fix this. I promise."

Her father’s eyes were dull, the fire that had once burned within him now nothing more than a faint spark. He mumbled under his breath, words Lexi couldn't quite understand, but his voice was calm now—faintly soothing, like the lull before a storm.

As Lexi continued to hold him, the image of Julian suddenly flashed in her mind. His smirk, that damn smile that always made her feel both drawn to him and repulsed at the same time. The man who had built his empire on the backs of people like her father, people who trusted him—people like her.

Her fingers tightened around her father’s hand as the anger inside her rose like a tidal wave. She could feel it surging within her, flooding her chest until it was all she could think about. The one person responsible for her father’s downfall—the person who had shattered her world, ripped apart everything she held dear—was Julian Styles.

Her father had been a powerful man, a visionary. But when Thorn Industries had started to crumble under the weight of fraudulent deals and hidden debts, Julian had swooped in, acquiring everything in a fire sale. It had all happened so quickly, so ruthlessly. Her father’s empire had vanished, and with it, his spirit. He had spiraled into a depression so deep that he had lost touch with reality. All because of Julian’s calculated moves.

Her fingers shook as she pulled away from her father and stood, her mind a whirlwind of rage and bitterness. She couldn't let this go. She couldn’t let him get away with it.

The door to the room opened, pulling her from her thoughts. A nurse entered, followed by two orderlies, holding a syringe filled with clear liquid. Lexi’s heart sank as they moved toward her father.

"No," she whispered, stepping back.

The nurse glanced at her with a neutral expression. "It's necessary. His condition is deteriorating. This will help him rest."

"No!" Lexi’s voice cracked, but the orderlies had already reached her father’s side, gently rolling up his sleeve. One of them injected the needle into his arm, and she watched helplessly as her father’s body went limp, his breathing slowing until he finally succumbed to the drug-induced sleep.