Chapter 3: Whispers in the Dark
Night fell over the Vance estate, casting long, dark shadows across the grand estate’s manicured grounds. Eleanor sat in her study, staring at a framed photograph of Clara holding baby Lily. The room felt cold despite the crackling fireplace. Footsteps echoed on the hardwood floor as Victoria slipped into the room, wrapped in a dark cashmere shawl.
“You haven’t eaten anything, Mother,” Victoria said softly, placing a cup of chamomile tea on the desk. Her eyes were red-rimmed, stripped of the glamorous demeanor she maintained during the day.
Eleanor raised her head, looking sternly at her stepdaughter. “Tell me the truth, Victoria. What did you mean at the chapel when you whispered that you didn't know? What are you hiding from me?”
Victoria sank into an armchair, burying her face in her hands. A sob broke through her restraint. “Arthur Sterling... the Vice Chairman of the board. He threatened me, Eleanor. A month ago, he showed me financial documents with my forged signature, claiming I was complicit in the fund’s offshore transfers. He said if I helped him track Clara’s movements, he would destroy the evidence against me.”
Eleanor’s blood ran cold. “You were spying on your own sister?”
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“I was terrified!” Victoria cried, tears spilling over her mascara. “I didn’t know he meant to hurt her! I thought it was just corporate rivalry! When Clara went missing, I realized Sterling had set us all up. I tried to warn her, but it was too late.”
Eleanor stood up, her grief transforming into a fierce, protective resolve. She walked over and pulled Victoria into a firm embrace. “We cannot let fear divide us, Victoria. Clara died fighting for what was right. We will finish what she started.”
