Chapter 6 - A Partnership Built on BloodJulian spun around, his mind racing through a labyrinth of paranoia and betrayal. "You knew? You knew this whole time?"
"Of course I knew," Clara laughed softly, stepping closer until she could smell the cold sweat on his neck. "How do you think we met, Julian? Do you really believe it was a coincidence that I bumped into you at that charity gala six months after your wife 'vanished'? I was living in the guest house next door. I heard the muffled screams when you first brought her back from the docks. I saw you drag her inside."
Julian’s breath hitched. The room began to spin. "You... you were blackmailing me."
"I was investing in you," Clara corrected smoothly, her eyes flashing with dangerous ambition. "You thought you were the master manipulator, Julian. You thought you outsmarted the police, the media, and Eleanor’s family. But you were just a pawn in a much larger game. I didn't want to expose you. I wanted to own you. And today, with the wedding, your entire empire—including Eleanor’s vast personal fortune, which you only controlled through power of attorney—was going to be legally signed over to me."
Julian stared at her, the mask completely slipping. The man who was supposed to be the most powerful, untouchable bachelor in the city was now trapped in a web of his own murderous making, caught by a woman far more ruthless than he could ever hope to be.
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Inside the wardrobe, Eleanor gave a massive heave, slamming her shoulder against the interior wall. The old wood groaned under the pressure. The latch rattled.
The secret was threatening to burst out into the open, right on the precipice of the ceremony.
