Chapter 5 - The Betrayal WithinThe silence in the room was heavier than the mahogany furniture. Claire stared at the man she had planned to spend her life with, realizing that every sweet word, every stolen kiss, and every promise had been a meticulously scripted lie.
"Why?" Claire’s voice cracked, tears finally spilling over her lashes. "After everything we shared... the memories... was it all fake?"
Ethan didn't flinch. "Power doesn't care about memories, Claire. My father built this empire on blood and stolen land. When he tried to hand it over to you in his revised will, we had to improvise. Eleanor provided the poison for his heart medication, and I provided the grief."
"And now," Eleanor purred, stepping closer with a sleek silver syringe in her hand, "we provide the closure. A tragic accidental overdose in the estate’s old study. How poetic."
Claire’s survival instinct kicked in. She lunged sideways, sweeping her arm across the desk and sending a heavy bronze paperweight flying directly at Vance’s head.
The detective cursed, ducking as the heavy object smashed into the wall behind him. Seizing the opening, Claire bolted for the door.
"Catch her!" Eleanor screamed.
May you like
Claire burst out into the hallway, her bare feet pounding against the floor. Behind her, heavy footsteps echoed through the corridor. She turned a corner blindly, throwing herself into a dark side room and locking the heavy bolt just as bodies slammed against the outside of the door.
Her chest heaved. She was trapped in the old panic room, but she knew there had to be another way out. In the dim emergency light, she noticed a narrow service ladder leading upward into the dark rafters. Without a second thought, she began to climb.
