Chapter 6
The heavy oak doors of the grand library smelled faintly of old leather, binding glue, and polished mahogany. Sunlight struggled to pierce through the tall, leaded glass windows, casting long, dusty shadows across the rows of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that housed centuries of Sterling family history. Victoria Vance stood near the massive mahogany desk, her fingers tapping a restless, nervous rhythm against the polished wood. She was dressed impeccably in a tailored cream-colored pantsuit that contrasted sharply with the gloomy, traditional decor of the estate.
The heavy library door creaked open, and Julian stepped inside, closing it firmly behind him. He kept his expression neutral, masking the storm of anger and betrayal boiling just beneath the surface. He walked slowly toward her, stopping a few feet away with his hands tucked casually into the pockets of his trousers.
Victoria turned around, a carefully rehearsed smile instantly replacing the tense lines of her face. She smoothed down her lapels, adopting a tone of injured dignity mixed with pragmatic affection. "Julian. I'm glad you're here. We need to talk about yesterday. Things got... entirely out of hand, and I think we both said things we didn't mean."
Julian watched her with a cold, analytical detachment that made her smile falter slightly. He didn't interrupt; he simply let her talk, letting her hang herself with her own manufactured justifications.
"Your mother is under a great deal of stress," Victoria continued, stepping closer and placing a manicured hand gently against his chest. "And Clara is far too protective, feeding into her anxieties. For everyone's benefit—especially yours—I think it’s best if we expedite the estate consolidation. I’ve already spoken to our legal team. All we need is the family seal from the library safe, and we can finalize the restructuring by the end of the week."
Julian looked down at her hand resting on his chest, then slowly met her gaze. The sheer audacity of her proposal—standing in his father’s library, asking for the keys to the kingdom while the ink on her forged documents was barely dry—took his breath away. "And what about the coastal property, Victoria? And the subsidiary accounts? Are those part of the standard restructuring?"
Victoria’s hand froze against his lapel. The carefully constructed facade cracked for a microsecond, her eyes darting nervously toward the heavy oak desk before she recovered her poise. "I... I don't know what you're talking about, Julian. What subsidiary accounts?"
"The ones you've been draining for the past six months," Julian said quietly, his voice dropping an octave, carrying the full weight of absolute certainty. "The ones you authorized using expired power-of-attorney clauses while my mother was in the hospital."
May you like
The silence in the library became suffocating. Victoria dropped her hand from his chest, taking a slow step backward. The game of innocent fiancé was over, and the ruthless opportunist underneath finally stepped into the light. Her eyes narrowed into cold, calculating slits as she realized denial was no longer an option.
***
