Page 150 of The Rules
Ben had listened. Had weighed options. Had thought about going to the managing partner, making a case for Thomas.
But he'd hesitated.
Because he knew the truth: the firm wouldn't risk its reputation for a junior associate. They'd sacrifice Thomas without blinking.
And in that moment of hesitation, Thomas had asked the question that changed everything: "What would your brother do?"
Ben had gone still. The implication was clear. Everyone knew about Julian. Not the details, not the extent—but enough to know he operated in shadows.
He should have shut it down. Should have told Thomas to fight through proper channels.
Instead, he'd made a call.
He hadn't gone to their parents. He hadn't gone to a senior partner. He'd gone to Julian.
And Julian had delivered. Fast. Brutal. Effective.
The problem disappeared.
But so did the man who asked.
Not dead.
Just... changed.
Thomas kept his job. The evidence vanished. The client who had set him up suddenly withdrew all accusations, transferred his business elsewhere, and was never heard from again.
But Thomas was never the same. His eyes went flat.
His voice, once confident, became a perpetual whisper.
He moved through the firm like a ghost, doing his work with mechanical precision but never engaging, never laughing.
Because once you invite Julian Sinclair into your war?
You win. But not cleanly. You don't get to hold the high ground anymore.
You just get results.
Ben ran a hand down his face, frustration leaking through the cracks in his control.
This was exactly what he wanted to avoid.
But they needed afucking edge.
Someone who wasn't afraid to dig where lawyers couldn't. Someone who understood how to twist back the hands pulling the strings.
Someone like Julian.
Ben stared at the phone.
One call. That's all it would take.
And there would be no coming back from it.
The weight of the decision pressed down on him. Julian wasn't just a resource—he was a consequence. A nuclear option that left radiation in its wake. Once unleashed, Ben couldn't control the fallout.
Julian wouldn’t just help.
