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The heavy mahogany door of the dressing room seemed to close in on us, trapping the suffocating tension inside. Richard’s hands were shaking as he clutched the small, tarnished silver pendant. His knuckles were bone-white. / Chapter 17 / 30

Chapter 17 - The Ultimate Betrayal RevealedJulian slammed his hands down on the table, standing up so fast his chair crashed backward onto the hardwood floor. "You little bitch! You planned this the moment I walked through those doors!"

"You taught me well," I replied calmly, standing up to match his height. "You assumed that because I grew up poor, because I worked as a maid under Vanessa's abusive thumb, I was stupid. But while you were busy plotting a hostile corporate takeover, I spent the last seventy-two hours auditing every shell company Vance Global used to buy those shares."

I walked around the table, stopping just inches from him.

"And guess what I found, Julian? Embezzlement, tax evasion, and illegal asset stripping across three international jurisdictions. The federal authorities were copied on these financial disclosures twenty minutes ago. Federal marshals are freezing your accounts as we speak."

Sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder by the second. Flashing blue and red lights painted the tall glass windows of the boardroom.

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The heavy silver fork slipped from my fingers, clattering sharply against the gold-rimmed porcelain of my dinner plate.

The heavy silver fork slipped from my fingers, clattering sharply agains...

The heavy mahogany door of the Fairmont Copley suite clicked shut with a muffled, expensive thud.

The heavy mahogany door of the Fairmont Copley suite clicked shut with a...

Vanessa’s eyes were dry, clear, and sharp. She looked around the library as if measuring the dimensions for a redesign.

Vanessa’s eyes were dry, clear, and sharp. She looked around the library...

Julian stared at me, his face twisted in utter disbelief and rage. He lunged forward across the table, his hands clawing toward my throat, screaming, "I'll destroy you! I'll burn this entire dynasty to ash!"

Before his fingers could even graze my collar, the heavy boardroom doors swung open violently.

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