CHAPTER 7 — The Woman Juliet Trusted Most
"The greatest betrayal wasn't committed by an enemy... it was committed by the only person Juliet called 'sister.'"
Nobody spoke.
The silence inside Adrian Bellamy's library became almost unbearable.
The elegant woman smiled as though she had walked into an old family reunion instead of a room filled with people who suddenly wanted answers.
She removed her gloves with deliberate calm.
"My name won't mean much to you, Clare."
She looked directly into my eyes.
"But your grandmother once trusted me more than anyone else."
Henri whispered her name before anyone else could.
"...Celeste."
The woman inclined her head.
"It has been a long time, Henri."
His cane slipped from his trembling hand and clattered across the marble floor.
"You died."
Celeste laughed softly.
"No."
"I simply allowed the world to believe I had."
Adrian took one slow step forward.
"You destroyed Juliet's life."
Celeste's expression remained almost amused.
"No."
"I offered her a choice."
"What choice?"
"Power... or freedom."
Her gaze shifted toward me and Isabelle.
"She chose freedom."
"And because of that choice..."
She paused.
"...she lost everything."
My anger finally overcame my fear.
"You stole my sister."
"No."
Celeste answered immediately.
"I saved her."
The room exploded with protests.
Henri slammed both hands onto the table.
"You kidnapped a baby!"
"I rescued a child from people who would've killed her."
She didn't even raise her voice.
"I raised Isabelle."
"I educated her."
"I protected her."
"And I turned her into someone who could survive."
Isabelle's face had gone pale.
"You told me Adrian murdered my grandmother."
Celeste looked at her almost sympathetically.
"I told you what I needed you to believe."
"You lied to me for twenty-four years."
"I prepared you."
Adrian's security team quietly surrounded the room.
Celeste noticed.
She smiled.
"You still think this is about revenge."
"It isn't."
"It's about inheritance."
Every head turned.
"Inheritance?" Adrian asked.
Celeste nodded.
"Juliet wasn't hiding money."
"She wasn't hiding diamonds."
"She wasn't hiding evidence."
"She was hiding ownership."
Henri closed his eyes.
"Oh no..."
Celeste continued.
"Before she disappeared, Juliet secretly became majority shareholder of one of Europe's oldest family investment groups."
"No one ever knew."
"The ownership was divided into two identical trust documents."
She pointed toward me.
"One belongs to Clare."
Then toward Isabelle.
"The other belongs to Isabelle."
"Separated..."
"They're worthless."
"Together..."
"They control assets worth nearly twelve billion dollars."
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
I stared at her.
"My grandmother never cared about money."
"Exactly."
Celeste smiled.
"She never intended either of you to have it."
"She intended to destroy it."
The room fell silent once again.
Adrian looked confused for the first time since I had met him.
"Destroy twelve billion dollars?"
Henri answered quietly.
"It wasn't wealth."
"It was leverage."
He looked at me.
"Juliet discovered that generations of powerful families had hidden stolen fortunes inside that investment group."
"If both trusts were united..."
"The entire network could be exposed."
Celeste slowly applauded.
"Very good, Henri."
"You're finally telling the truth."
Suddenly...
One of Adrian's security guards pressed a hand to his earpiece.
His expression changed instantly.
"Boss."
"We have a problem."
"What?"
"The vault."
Adrian frowned.
"What about it?"
"The private vault beneath the building..."
"...has already been opened."
Everyone turned toward Celeste.
She didn't react.
Instead...
She looked at Isabelle.
"My dear..."
"Tell them."
Isabelle's face drained of color.
"I..."
Her voice shook.
"I already gave someone my half of the trust."
My heart stopped.
"What?"
"I thought I was protecting it."
Tears rolled down her face.
"I never knew what it really was."
Henri staggered backward.
"No..."
Adrian's expression hardened.
"Who has it?"
Before Isabelle could answer...
The lights inside the mansion suddenly went black.
Every screen.
Every lamp.
Every security monitor.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Then a man's voice echoed through hidden speakers.
Calm.
Confident.
Almost cheerful.
"Thank you, Celeste."
"You've gathered everyone exactly where I wanted."
Emergency lights flickered on.
One red light at a time.
The room looked like it had been dipped in blood.
A face appeared on the large television above the fireplace.
An older man.
Gray hair.
Perfect suit.
Cold smile.
Henri collapsed into a chair.
His lips trembled.
"It can't be..."
Adrian stared at the screen.
For the first time...
Real fear crossed his face.
The man smiled directly into the camera.
"Good evening."
"My name..."
He paused, enjoying every second.
"...is Victor Laurent."
"I've been dead for twenty-three years."
He leaned closer to the camera.
"And tonight..."
"I'm coming to collect what's always belonged to me."
The screen went black.
Outside...
Every alarm in the Bellamy estate began screaming at once.
May you like
The war Juliet had spent her entire life trying to prevent...
Had finally begun.
