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Grant Mercer did not blink when Clara answered his question. He simply leaned back into his high-backed leather chair, the sound of rain against the floor-to-ceiling windows filling the heavy silence between them. / Chapter 6 / 8

Chapter 6 - The Trap is Sprung

Three days later, the headline hit the front page of every major newspaper and news portal in the Pacific Northwest:

BILLIONAIRE’S MANSION TAKEOVER: IS A LOW-LEVEL EMPLOYEE PULLING THE STRINGS AT MERCER URBAN?

The article was a masterclass in fabricated slander. It detailed Clara’s past financial struggles, twisted her hiring interview into a calculated trap, and falsely claimed that millions in company funds had been diverted to private accounts bearing her name. Worse, paparazzi photos of Grant, Clara, and Kira walking in a park—with Grant carrying Kira on his shoulders—were splashed across the internet with malicious insinuations.

When Clara opened her phone that morning and saw the digital notifications, the blood drained completely from her face.

She found Grant in his study. He was standing by the window, staring out at the rain, his expression darker than she had ever seen it.

"Grant," Clara choked out, tears spilling over her lashes as she held out her phone. "I swear to God, I didn't—I don't know who leaked this. I didn't touch the funds, I didn't talk to any reporters, you have to believe me—"

Grant turned around slowly. The bluebird and the sun were gone from his face—he had washed them off days ago—but the cold, hard walls were back. Or at least, that’s what Clara feared.

"Look at me, Clara," Grant said quietly.

She looked up, trembling.

"Do you think I didn't know who leaked this?" Grant asked. "Julian Vance has been trying to oust me for five years. He thinks because I grew up poor in Tacoma, I'm easily manipulated. He thinks bringing you and Kira into my home was a liability."

"I have to leave," Clara whispered, stepping back toward the door, her voice breaking. "I won't let you lose your company because of us. I'll pack our things. We'll go back to St. Louis. I'm so sorry I ruined your life."

She turned to run, but a heavy hand caught her arm, gently spinning her back around.

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Grant didn't let go. Instead, he reached out with his other hand and gently wiped a tear from her cheek.

"You didn't ruin my life, Clara," Grant said, his voice thick with an emotion he had hidden from the world for thirty years. "You saved it. And nobody is going anywhere."

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