Chapter 6
Inside the Sterling manor’s private study, the atmosphere was a stark contrast to the quiet grit of the basement office. The room was paneled in dark walnut, lined with first-edition leather-bound books that were rarely read, and illuminated by the soft glow of a desk lamp. Julian paced the Persian rug, his black suit jacket discarded over the back of a leather armchair, his tie pulled loose at the collar. Elena sat perched on the edge of the mahogany desk, her long legs crossed, her red dress draped elegantly around her as she filed her nails with chilling composure.
“You handled the stairs terribly, Julian,” Elena said, her voice devoid of warmth. “You looked weak. Hesitating like that makes people wonder if you knew what she was carrying in that bag.”
“I didn't know she was going to bring up the foundation audits during a family dinner, Elena,” Julian snapped, turning on his heel to face her. His chest heaved with a mixture of frustration and lingering panic. “And you didn't tell me you threatened her regarding the baby! If that audio gets out, we aren't just talking about a messy divorce or a public relations scandal. We are looking at federal conspiracy charges. Do you understand what your temper just invited into our lives?”
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Elena stopped filing her nails, looking up at him with unblinking, intense eyes. She stood slowly, smoothing the fabric of her red dress, and walked toward him with the predatory grace of a cat. She reached out, her fingers gently tracing the lapel of his shirt with false intimacy. She reminded him, in a low, poisonous tone, that their fortunes were inextricably linked. If she fell, she would ensure the entire Sterling enterprise came crashing down around him, taking his precious reputation and his board seat with her.
Julian stared down at her, realizing with sickening clarity the true nature of the woman he had married. The ambition that had once drawn him to her was now a noose tightening around his neck. Yet, self-preservation kept him tethered to her madness. He knew he had to protect his own position on the board before the quarterly meeting in three days, even if it meant helping Elena construct a foolproof wall of lies against Clara’s impending counter-offensive.
