flash
The grandfather clock in the master hallway chimed 2:00 AM. In the absolute silence of the Vale estate, I slipped out of my twin-sized guest bed—twenty feet away from Adrian’s sprawling king suite—and knelt beside the loose floorboard in the closet. / Chapter 8 / 10

Chapter 8 - Vanessa’s Desperate Move"Don't fall for this pathetic stunt!" Vanessa shrieked, jumping up, her face twisted in pure venom. "She’s a fraud! She probably stole that locket from a thrift store just to trap a billionaire! Adrian, wake up! She’s a nobody!"

"Guard," Adrian whispered, his voice dangerously low as he slowly rose to his feet. He didn't look at Vanessa. He looked like a man possessed by a demon.

"Get her out of my sight," Adrian commanded. "Strip her family’s accounts, revoke her shares, blacklist her from every social circle in this country, and throw her out of this building before I forget I'm a civilized man."

Security guards grabbed a screaming Vanessa by both arms and dragged her kicking and screaming down the corridor.

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