Chapter 6 - The Protector
The ambush changed everything.
The next morning, the estate was locked down. Contractors were repairing the damage, and the security detail was tripled. Clara found Julian in the study. He was sitting at his desk, exhausted, a bandage taped over his cheek.
She walked in quietly, carrying a cup of black coffee, and set it on his desk.
Julian looked up, surprised. "You should be resting."
"I've rested my whole life," Clara said, her voice steadier than it had ever been. "I want to know what happened."
Julian sighed, leaning back in his leather chair. "Your father sent them. It was a desperate, sloppy hit. But it proves he is backed into a corner. A cornered rat is dangerous, Clara."
Clara looked at the man who had thrown himself over her body to take a bullet meant for her. "Why?" she asked quietly. "Why are you protecting me? You married me to destroy him. Letting me die would have ruined him completely."
Julian stood up. He walked around the desk, stopping just inches from her. He reached out, his knuckles gently brushing her cheek. He didn't pull away when she stiffened; he just waited until she relaxed into his touch.
"I married you to destroy him," Julian confessed, his voice a low, rough rumble. "But that was before I knew you. That was before I knew what he had done to you. You are not his pawn anymore, Clara. You are my wife. And no one touches what is mine."
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It wasn't a threat of ownership. It was a vow of protection.
Clara looked into his slate-gray eyes and saw the absolute truth. For the first time in twenty-four years, she wasn't just surviving. She was safe.
