Chapter 13
Arthur did not flinch at her presence. He set the children's photograph back down on the nightstand and turned to face her, leaning on his cane. "You disappeared right after the gala, Clara. My lawyers searched for you across three continents."
Clara walked slowly toward the fireplace, warming her hands over the cold hearth. "Your lawyers only looked where you told them to look, Arthur. You didn't want me found; you wanted me kept as a ghost until you needed to deploy the evidence."
"You took Beatrice's hush money," Arthur stated matter-of-factly. "You helped her orchestrate the setup against Julian."
Clara laughed, a dry, humorless sound that echoed off the timber walls. "Beatrice was a fool who thought she was the puppet master. She didn't realize she was just another piece on your board. I took her money because the Vance family owed me every penny for what your brother did to my father thirty years ago. You crushed our branch of the family out of the shipping syndicate, Arthur. We just wanted a fraction of what was stolen."
Arthur stared at her, the dark history of the Vance dynasty rising up to meet him. "Business isn't personal, Clara. It never was."
"That’s the lie you tell yourself to sleep at night," she replied, turning her sharp eyes toward him. "Julian was weak, Beatrice was vicious, and you were ruthless. You built a monument to your own ego, and now you're standing in the ruins of it all, entirely alone."
Arthur felt a sharp pain grip his chest—not the metaphorical ache of regret, but a very real, physical constriction that made his breath catch in his throat. He reached out to grab the back of the velvet armchair, his knuckles turning white.
May you like
Clara noticed the sudden change in his posture. The cold detachment vanished from her face, replaced by immediate urgency. She rushed forward, grabbing his arm as his knees buckled. "Arthur! Sit down. I'll call an ambulance."
"No," Arthur gasped, managing to lower himself into the chair. "No hospitals. Not here. Just... let me finish it here."
