Chapter 3
The heavy oak door creaked open, revealing Eleanor Vance standing on the threshold. She had changed into a fresh wrap, though her expression remained as sharp and hostile as a broken bottle. She swept into the room without an invitation, her diamond earrings catching the lamplight as she cast a withering look at Chloe before fixing her gaze entirely on Julian.
"Julian, darling," Eleanor purred, though her tone lacked any genuine warmth. "I see you’ve taken a peculiar interest in the hired help. I trust she hasn't stolen anything on her way out? Girls from her background tend to have sticky fingers."
Julian rose slowly from his kneeling position, his posture shifting instantly from a protective brother to a ruthless corporate executive. The warmth in his eyes vanished, replaced by a glacial stare that caused Eleanor to step back involuntarily.
"Watch your tongue, Eleanor," Julian warned, his voice dangerously low. "You are speaking to my sister."
Eleanor let out a sharp, incredulous laugh, shaking her blonde head. "Your sister? Honestly, Julian, I know you’ve been obsessed with your tragic childhood backstory for years, but manufacturing a sibling out of a clumsy catering girl to save face is pathetic. If she’s your sister, where has she been hiding? Why is she carrying trays of canapés at my charity gala?"
"She was hiding because powerful people wanted our family erased," Julian stated coldly, stepping between Eleanor and Chloe. "And as for why she is here, she was working an honest job to survive while you spent the evening throwing tantrums over spilled champagne. Now, I suggest you leave this room before I remember the business arrangements keeping your husband’s firm afloat and decide to pull my funding."
Eleanor’s face paled beneath her heavy makeup. She recognized the chilling finality in Julian’s tone. She shot one last venomous glare at Chloe, taking in the cheap fabric of the maid's uniform and the tear-stained cheeks.
"You’re making a monumental mistake, Julian," Eleanor hissed, clutching her satin wrap tighter around her shoulders. "Blood might be thicker than water, but it’s also a lot easier to spill. Enjoy your little family reunion."
With a dramatic swirl of fabric, Eleanor turned and stormed out of the library, slamming the heavy doors behind her with a resounding crash. The silence returned, but the poisoned air of her threat lingered in the room.
Chloe shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. "She hates me. And she has power, Julian. I’ve seen how these people treat anyone who crosses them."
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"Let her hate," Julian said, returning to Chloe’s side and resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "She doesn't know who she’s dealing with. For twenty years, I’ve built an empire specifically so no one could ever touch what is mine. Tomorrow, we start digging into the past. We are going to find out who stole you away from me, and why they tried to burn our lives to the ground."
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