Chapter 6
Julian’s blood turned to ice. Hearing Elena give the explicit order to burn down his ancestral home shattered the last fragile remnants of the woman he thought he knew. Every gentle touch, every whispered promise over the past six months was exposed as a calculated lie designed to strip him of everything his family had built. He pushed the heavy mahogany door open with a resounding slam, the wood crashing against the wall with enough force to echo through the entire second-floor corridor.
Elena spun around, her face instantly pale, dropping the burner phone onto the plush carpeted floor. The cheap plastic device bounced softly before sliding under a velvet armchair. For a brief second, raw panic flashed in her dark eyes, but she quickly forced her features into a mask of cold defiance, lifting her chin as her white gown rustled with her sudden movement.
"You always did lack basic manners, Julian," Elena snapped, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts to sound composed. "Bursting into a private room uninvited. Is this how a respectable groom treats his bride on their wedding day?"
Julian closed the distance between them in three long, predatory strides. He grabbed her tightly by the upper arms, his grip firm enough to leave bruises, though he didn't care. His eyes blazed with a fury so intense it made Elena step back until her spine hit the ornate, full-length mirror behind her.
"Who are you talking to?" Julian demanded, his voice a low, gravelly growl that vibrated with suppressed rage. "Who gave you the right to order the destruction of my father’s house? The police are already tracking your burner phone’s frequency, Elena. It is over."
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Elena let out a sharp, hysterical laugh that held no humor, tilting her head back to stare up at the ceiling before meeting his furious gaze dead-on.
"You think you’re so smart, don't you?" Elena sneered, her lips curling into a cruel, triumphant smile. "You think a few cops can stop what’s already in motion? That house isn't yours anymore. The digital signatures were encrypted and executed the second you walked out of this room. The fire is just a message."
