Chapter 4 - The Unraveling
I pushed the heavy mahogany doors open with a violent shove.
They slammed against the walls with a crack like a gunshot.
The music instantly stopped.
Hundreds of wealthy guests turned their heads toward the entrance in stunned silence.
At the front of the room, standing on an illuminated stage, was Julian.
He looked incredibly handsome in his custom tuxedo, holding a glass of champagne.
Standing right next to him was a beautiful blonde woman in a designer gown, holding a toddler in her arms.
It was the perfect picture of a happy, successful family.
Julian’s smile vanished the second his eyes met mine.
His face turned the color of ash.
“Clara?” he whispered into the microphone, his voice echoing through the silent ballroom.
I walked slowly down the center aisle, my worn trench coat dragging against the expensive carpet.
“Hello, Julian,” I said, my voice steady and completely fearless.
The blonde woman beside him frowned, looking deeply confused.
“Julian, who is this woman?” she asked, clutching the toddler tightly to her chest.
“She is nobody, Chloe!” Julian panicked, waving his hands frantically.
“Security, get this crazy woman out of here right now!”
Before anyone could move, Sebastian and Harrison stepped through the doorway.
The collective gasp from the elite corporate partners in the room was deafening.
Everyone in high finance recognized the Sterling brothers instantly.
“I would highly advise against touching my sister,” Sebastian announced, his voice carrying effortlessly across the massive room.
Julian dropped his champagne glass.
It shattered onto the stage, the expensive crystal exploding into a hundred pieces.
“Your... sister?” Julian choked out, his eyes wide with sheer, unadulterated terror.
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“Yes, Julian,” I said, stopping just a few feet away from the stage.
“Clara Sterling.”
