Chapter 9 - The Flash of Blackmail
Standing at the threshold of the guest suite, holding a professional camera with the flash still glowing, was Evelyn. Her crimson velvet dressing gown was wrapped tightly around her slender frame, and her lips curled into a triumphant, manicured smile that sent a shiver down the spine.
"Oh, what a touching family reunion," Evelyn mocked, lowering the camera slowly. "Too bad the federal judge won't care about a dying lawyer's coerced confession. You assaulted an officer of the court, Julian, and you kidnapped a civilian. The photos I just took will clear my father's name and land both of you in a federal penitentiary by sunrise."
Julian stepped away from Marcus, his face draining of what little color remained. "Evelyn... you knew about this all along. You knew your father burned my family to the ground."
"My father built a dynasty, Julian," Evelyn hissed, stepping forward with absolute defiance. "Your family was just a footnote in our ledger. And this little maid—this pathetic little phantom—thought she could waltz back in and take it all away with a parlor trick and a gold ring?"
Clara slowly turned away from the cowering lawyer. She didn't look panicked; instead, a strange, terrifying calm washed over her features. She walked toward Evelyn with measured, deliberate strides, ignoring the camera in the other woman's hand.
"You really think you're holding all the cards, don't you, Evelyn?" Clara asked, her voice carrying an eerie musical quality.
"I hold the evidence," Evelyn snapped, lifting the camera protectively. "One call to my legal team, and these files are transmitted straight to the attorney general."
"Go ahead," Clara invited softly, stopping just a foot away from her. "Call them. Tell them you're transmitting classified corporate data from a device linked to a secure federal wiretap."
Evelyn froze. Her thumb hovered over the camera's transmission button. "What are you talking about?"
"Agent Miller didn't just issue a search warrant for the estate," Clara smiled, her eyes flashing in the dim hallway light. "He authorized a full interception of every digital signal leaving this property. The moment you transmit those photos, you're actively aiding and abetting a fugitive obstruction of justice."
Panic flickered in Evelyn’s eyes for the first time. She lowered the camera slightly, her chest heaving as she realized the trap had closed around her.
"You're lying," Evelyn whispered, though her voice lacked its previous venom.
May you like
"Am I?" Clara asked. Downstairs, the heavy front doors creaked open, and the unmistakable sound of multiple heavy boots marching up the marble staircase filled the silence.
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